From PA Post (https://papost.org/):
‘Do you believe in a second chance?’
Gov. Tom Wolf commuted Robert Wideman’s (right) life sentence for felony-murder—also known as second-degree murder—last spring. Wideman now spends most days with his girlfriend of seven years, Vivian Carter (left). (An-Li Herring/WESA)
As the Pa. Supreme Court considers how many years constitute a “life” sentence in Philadelphia this week, officials in Harrisburg will consider commuting the terms of 21 prisoners currently serving life terms. That number of cases up for review is the highest at a single session of the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons in at least 25 years and follows the state’s recent uptick in shortening sentences for lifers, reports WESA’s An-Li Herring.
An-Li recently published two stories exploring the trend. The first lays out some basic history and information about the process while delving into three cases, one involving a man who spent half a century behind bars for driving a car involved in an armed robbery that turned fatal.
Gov. Tom Wolf, who acts on recommendations from the pardons board, has signed off on twice as many commutations during his time in office as his four predecessors added together, An-Li reports. Her second story puts the numbers in perspective by delving deeper into Pa.’s criminal justice policies and changes on the horizon.
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