Pennsylvania

Contact:
Tripp Laino, 202-999-4273
tlaino@famm.org

FAMM praises Pennsylvania Board of Pardons’ actions to support clemency

HARRISBURG – In response to the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons supporting clemency for 85 people who are currently on reprieve, FAMM’s Director of State Policy for Pennsylvania, Celeste Trusty, issued the following statement:

“Sending these 85 people to Gov. Tom Wolf with a recommendation for clemency is not just great for those families, but is also a common-sense response to COVID-19 raging in our prisons,” Trusty said. “FAMM has been encouraging Gov. Wolf to build upon his successful reprieve program to include those most vulnerable to this pandemic, and we continue to urge him to do just that. Pennsylvania’s executive branch, General Assembly and Board of Pardons must do whatever they can to take necessary action to thin out the prison population in an effort to mitigate the spread and potential devastation from the next wave of the virus.”

Today’s Board of Pardons meeting also included other clemency petitions, and FAMM wishes to congratulate those petitioners as well.

“While we firmly believe clemency is an important tool to fight COVID-19 in prisons, it is action beyond the Board’s normal purview, and we are thrilled to see them continue to push for clemency for deserving candidates,” Trusty said. “We’re thrilled for all of these families to be reunited.”

For nearly three decades, FAMM has united the voices of affected families, the formerly incarcerated, and a range of stakeholders and advocates to fight for a more fair and effective justice system. FAMM’s focus on ending a one-size-fits-all punishment structure has led to reforms to sentencing and prison policies at the state and federal level and is paving the way to programs that support rehabilitation for the 94% of all prisoners who will return to our neighborhoods one day.

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FAMM is a national nonpartisan advocacy organization that promotes fair and effective criminal justice policies that safeguard taxpayer dollars and keep our communities safe. Founded in 1991, FAMM is helping transform America’s criminal justice system by uniting the voices of impacted families and individuals and elevating the issues all across the country.