Pennsylvania

For Media Inquiries:
John Norton, 202-999-4268
jnorton@famm.org

FAMM to host virtual panel, Pardon Me: Understanding Pennsylvania’s Commutation and Pardon Process, with PA Secretary of Pardons Celeste Trusty

HARRISBURG – FAMM is hosting a virtual panel via Zoom with the new Pennsylvania Board of Pardons Secretary Celeste Trusty on Tuesday, February 8 from noon–1 pm. Register for the free event here.

Panelists will discuss Secretary Trusty’s goals for office and how clemency (including pardons and commutations) works in Pennsylvania — the only hope of relief for people serving very long or life sentences.

“FAMM is deeply committed to expanding clemency in Pennsylvania,” said Maria Goellner, FAMM’s Pennsylvania State Policy Director. “The first step in securing a second chance for incarcerated individuals is by helping their families and advocates understand how to effectively navigate the process.

“Clemency declined by 90 percent in Pennsylvania over the last few decades. FAMM calls on the Board of Pardons and Governor Wolf to do everything they can to improve and expand the clemency process this year.”

Expanding clemency is a pillar of FAMM’s Second Chances Agenda, which seeks to create as many mechanisms as possible to give people second chances, reunite families, and reduce mass incarceration.

For more than 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 has led the fight to reform extreme mandatory sentencing laws and to promote rehabilitation and dignity for all people in prison, 94 percent of whom 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.