GREEN BAY — State Representative Amaad Rivera-Wagner (D-Green Bay) today praised Governor Tony Evers for granting a full pardon to Green Bay mother Samantha Hampton, calling it “a powerful reminder that government can be a force for good.”
Rep. Rivera-Wagner submitted a letter of support to the Governor’s Pardon Advisory Board after meeting Hampton while touring one of two federally funded Head Start programs in Green Bay, where she serves on the PTO. “I met Samantha as a parent showing up for her family and for other kids in Green Bay at Head Start in the face of federal cuts” said Rep. Rivera-Wagner. “During a time when it can feel like government does not serve the best interests of the people, this moment is a beautiful reminder that it can.”
Hampton’s past convictions stemmed from crimes committed during her teenage years while struggling with heroin addiction, mental health challenges, abusive relationships, and homelessness. After entering Heroin Court, she committed fully to recovery, graduating from the program and later regaining full custody of her daughter. She has since become an advocate in the recovery community and a homeowner raising four children in Green Bay. In his letter, Rivera-Wagner wrote that Hampton “served her time and turned her life around. She is an asset to our community and state.”
Hampton shared the personal impact of the pardon. “The same mind that once felt trapped, learned how to fight,” she said. “Today I am living proof that with the right mindset and support you can overcome anything.”
Rivera-Wagner said one moment from their conversation has stayed with him. “She told me the number one reason she wanted this pardon was so she could chaperone her children’s field trips,” he said. “Not because she was not rehabilitated. Not because she did not serve her time. But because a mistake from her teenage years was still following her. Now she can fully show up for her family and community.”
“I am thankful to the Governor for giving an incredible, hardworking Green Bay parent a second chance in the face of youthful challenges,” Rivera-Wagner continued. “Green Bay is a place where we take care of each other, where hard work pays off. This pardon allows her to move forward without a barrier that no longer reflected who she is.”
The pardon restores Hampton’s civil rights and removes barriers that limited her ability to fully participate in her children’s school life and pursue her goal of becoming a counselor to help others in recovery.
“This is what accountability and redemption working together looks like,” Rivera-Wagner said. “This is what second chances look like when a community refuses to give up on someone and she refuses to give up on herself.”
