William Bell Larry Langford

William Bell and Larry Langford faced off for mayor in 2007

Birmingham mayor William Bell personally delivered a package to the White House this summer requesting that President Obama release former Birmingham mayor and Jefferson County commissioner Larry Langford from a federal prison in Tennessee, where he is serving 15 years for bribery and public corruption. Langford, now 70 and in failing health, was sentenced in 2010 and is not scheduled to be released until May 1, 2023.

"This man has suffered enough," Mayor Bell said. "It's time for him to come home."

The package also included a request for the President to consider releasing former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman, who is serving a seven-year sentence for bribery, conspiracy, and fraud at a federal prison in Oakdale, Louisiana. He's scheduled to be released in August of next year.

Bell and Langford have known each other since childhood. They were Little League teammates and both attended UAB. In 2009, Langford, after being forced to step down as mayor after being found guilty of corruption charges, endorsed Bell in a special mayoral election called to replace him. Bell won the election after a runoff and has served as mayor since.

"We've been friends through the years," the mayor said. "But this has nothing to do with friendship."

"The whole goal was to propose that while executing his initiative to reduce the number of people housed in federal prisons for crimes of a non-violent nature, the President would take a look at the Larry Langford case and consider both his health and the extensive nature of his sentence [relative to others involved in the case]," Bell said.

Investment banker Bill Blount and lobbyist Al LaPierre, whose deals were said to have benefited from Langford's votes while serving as Jefferson County commissioner, were sentenced to four years and four months, and four years, respectively, for their roles in the bribery scheme.

Last Tuesday, Obama commuted the sentences of 79 federal prisoners, lifting his clemency total to 1,014 inmates since he took office eight years ago, the most by any President since Lyndon B. Johnson (1,187). Most were sentenced under extensive guidelines created during the so-called war on drugs.

"These efforts to get these releases is not to make light of the offenses but to give someone a second chance," Bell added. "A new lease on life."

Bell, who said he has not spoken with Langford, added that he reached out to the White House again two weeks ago regarding Langford and Siegelman, but had not heard back.