Commutation Support Program

Assisting a client to complete an application

In the state of Pennsylvania, there were 5,250 incarcerated persons serving Life without the Possibility of Parole. What is often misunderstood is the people serving this sentence; if a person is convicted of first- or second-degree murder in Pennsylvania, they will receive Life without Parole. Sadly, many of these individuals didn't kill or did not intend to kill. In the state of Pennsylvania, first- or second-degree murder could be a robbery gone wrong. It could be a person who had no knowledge any crime would happen at all, let alone the death of a victim! It could also be a person who was a victim of reprehensible violence who felt they needed to kill in order to not be killed.

There are many factors as to what leads to the ultimate tragedy and despite what is said in court filings, we often do not know the actual details of a crime. Many times, it is the best guess for the prosecutor and may include witnesses or co-conspirators who tell a varied story in order to get a "deal." (Example: A person who was a full participant in a crime, perhaps even the person who masterminded the crime who then strikes a deal with the prosecutor to get their accomplice convicted. The mastermind may do only a few years of incarceration, while the co-defendant gets sentenced to Life without Parole.)

At Reentry Ready, we care about victims, but we also care about those who have been sentenced to die behind bars. We do not believe a person cannot be rehabilitated. We believe the studies and facts of 94% of the rest of the country who offers opportunities for parole. However, this is non-existent in Pennsylvania and leaves not only the guilty behind bars, but also cases of innocence! We believe that everyone is much more than the worst thing they have ever done and have worked with countless men and women who atone for their crime daily, who would benefit our communities if given another chance. However, the chance is slim and the only avenue for that chance is through the commutation process.

The history of commutation is dreary. The chances are slim, but the chance is there, and many people have returned back to society in the past 4 years proving their benefit. However, there is no transparency with the Board of Pardons, a process which needs evaluated and while the members appointed to the board are well-meaning, it appears the idea of mercy and evaluation is truly a personal decision as opposed to a process in which we can look at what a person might do to be granted the mercy of the honorable board.

Reentry Ready understands there are 4,090 incarcerated persons housed within our state prisons who have spent 20 or more years incarcerated. Some have been inside the prison walls for over 50 years! We understand how many crimes happen; leading factors are poverty, abuse, addiction, and mental health. We do not believe that there is any reason for a crime to be OK, but we do believe that there are reasons crime happens and that people can atone for their crimes. We believe and know based on other states who offer the possibility of parole, as well as our own state which began releasing Life without Parole sentenced juveniles in 2016 (due to a Supreme Court Ruling) that these men and women can and do benefit our society when given another chance!

While we cannot make any promise or guarantee that our support will help a person successfully move through the commutation process and gain release, we know men and women who have been incarcerated for decades can often use the support of others to complete a meaningful application.

Reentry Ready will not write* an application for an incarcerated individual as we believe that part of the process should be full accountability for the crime they have been sentenced for. However, we will listen in a caring manner and work with them to be fully transparent in their application and provide advice. Sharing information of themselves such as what led to the crime and what they have accomplished since the crime, what they would do should they be granted mercy, what support they have in place and how they can contribute to our communities. *It is impossible for Reentry Ready to write an application for an applicant because accountability must come from within. However, we have no problem fixing errors, making suggestions, offering feedback, typing, etc.

Because Reentry ready is a very small organization, we will be limited in the number of applications we can review and support. Therefore, we will have a limited number of clients with a strict criterion to determine if we can support the applicant. Some things we will be looking for are as follows:

At least 20 years of time served since the crime
At least 10 years of clean behavior in prison (no violent write-ups)
Accountability for the crime
Life sentenced individuals

The criteria set above is based on analysis and direct communication with persons closely involved in the process. While we have no actual data on what the board sees, we do know that they are looking at those with 20 or more years served and a good track record within the prison system. We are limiting our clients to life sentenced individuals because out of the 38,941 prisoners within our state corrections system, over 30,000 have a max date within the next 15 years. Those with life sentences have no opportunity except through commutation.

We hope our commutation support program can expand in the future to virtual lifers and beyond but must focus on those who have spent decades atoning for their crime, with an opportunity of commutation before the board.