Legislation Quick Search
03/29/2024 05:39 AM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20230&cosponId=39744
Share:
Home / House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

Subscribe to PaLegis Notifications
NEW!

Subscribe to receive notifications of new Co-Sponsorship Memos circulated

By Member | By Date | Keyword Search


House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: February 8, 2023 10:36 AM
From: Representative Amen Brown
To: All House members
Subject: Restoring Equity to Pennsylvania's Commutation Process while respecting the Rights of victims of crime
 

Here in Pennsylvania, many great efforts have been made to reform the criminal legal system. But there still is much room for progress in order to move the state forward in addressing mass incarceration and extreme sentencing. 

Our state prisons are overcrowded with aging and ill people, many of whom have already served decades of their sentence and could provide valuable mentorship and leadership to their home communities. While we all should be held accountable for actions, it is also just as important for individuals to have the opportunity at a second chance - people grow and learn lessons every day. 

Due to broad bipartisan efforts to address our outdated sentencing laws and expand access to second chances, more than 40 people who were serving life sentences in Pennsylvania have been granted clemency in the last five years through the Board of Pardons. These second chance recipients have an average age of 66 years old and served an average of 38 years in prison prior to receiving clemency.

Until the late 1990s, when it came to commutation applicants generally, Pennsylvania's Board of Pardons operated under a simple majority vote requirement clemency. Returning the required vote requirement to a simple majority would expand access to clemency for our incarcerated community members who have transformed their lives, have made amends with victims and/or surviving family members, have demonstrated that they pose no threat to public safety, and are ready to return home to become productive members of society.

This legislation would propose an amendment to the Constitution of Pennsylvania to eliminate the unanimous vote requirement for people serving life and death sentences and return the Board of Pardons vote requirement back to a simple majority. This would allow more people who have shown their readiness to return home to have the opportunity for a second chance.
 
Please join me in co-sponsoring this critical piece of legislation that would build on reform efforts Pennsylvania has made to our criminal legal system.