A Landmark Ruling Opens the Door for More Than 1,000 People to Come Home

This week, in Commonwealth v. Derek Lee, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that mandatory life without parole sentences for felony murder are unconstitutional, impacting more than 1,000 people sentenced to die in prison. We want to congratulate our partners at Abolitionist Law Center and throughout the movement for criminal legal reform for the relentless advocacy that led to this victory.

Felony murder laws allow a person to be convicted of murder and sentenced to life without parole even if they did not intend to cause death. Under this law, someone with a minor role, like acting as a lookout, can receive the same punishment as the person who caused the death.

These laws have disproportionately impacted young people, and overwhelmingly young people of color. Black people in Pennsylvania are 5.8 times more likely to be convicted of felony murder than their share of the population. In Pennsylvania, 51% of people convicted of felony murder are under the age of 25.

YSRP, alongside our partners at Juvenile Law Center and Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity, submitted an amicus brief that urged the Court  to recognize what both research and lived experience make clear: “ there is little difference developmentally between young people under the age of 18 and young adults 18 and older, rendering extreme punishments for felony murder inappropriate for both categories of adults.” 

We are proud that our amicus brief highlighted the stories of many of our client-partners to make the case that those formerly sentenced to die in prison can - and do - come home and contribute meaningfully to our communities.

Now, it is time to bring people home. More than 1,000 people across Pennsylvania are currently serving life sentences for felony murder. This ruling creates a pathway, and we must act with urgency to ensure that those who have already served decades have the opportunity to return to their families and communities.

Please join our partner organizations, and YSRP as we collectively urge the legislature to create meaningful opportunities for relief for these individuals now serving unconstitutional sentences. We will be in touch soon with plans for direct advocacy in Harrisburg.