Pennsylvania

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

FAMM to host virtual panel, The Future of Clemency in Pennsylvania, featuring Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Davis and Board of Pardons Secretary Watson

HARRISBURG – FAMM is hosting a virtual panel via Zoom, The Future of Clemency, featuring Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis from noon to 1:00 pm ET on Friday, March 31.

The panel will be moderated by FAMM Deputy Director of Policy Maria Goellner and also include Board of Pardons Secretary Shelley Watson. Register for the free event here.

“FAMM is dedicated to making clemency better and more expansive in Pennsylvania,” said Goellner. “This is the only second-look mechanism that we have right now in Pennsylvania, and it provides a critical path to reunion for so many families. We made great strides toward more clemency grants during the Wolf Administration and believe even more is possible during the Shapiro-Davis Administration.”

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

Goellner added, “Lieutenant Governor Davis and Board of Pardons Secretary Watson will discuss their backgrounds, vision for office, and why they believe in second chances during FAMM’s Future of Clemency virtual panel. We hope the families of incarcerated Pennsylvanians join us to learn more about their goals.”

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 fairer 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 safely reduce incarceration, save taxpayer dollars, and keep families together. Founded in 1991, FAMM has secured bold sentencing and prison reform across the country while elevating the voices of directly impacted individuals and families.

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