Criminal Justice Policy Coalition

08/13/2026

07/28/2026

As we reported in the March SLN newsletter, on March 26, 2026, the PA
Supreme Court ruled in Commonwealth v. Lee that a mandatory sentence
of death by incarceration (otherwise known as LWOP) for a conviction
of felony murder violates the Pennsylvania constitution as it risks
being disproportionate and therefore cruel, and that an individualized
assessment of culpability must be made before a person can be
sentenced to LWOP for felony murder.

On July 24, 2026, the 120-day period that the PA Supreme Court had
allotted in Lee for the Pennsylvania General Assembly to enact
legislation to implement its decision expired. Although separate bills
were introduced in the House (Democrat-sponsored) and the Senate
(Republican-sponsored) proposing new sentencing provisions for felony
murder, no resolution was reached, and the PA legislature has
adjourned until September.

The PA Supreme Court has not ruled on a motion filed by the Allegheny
County District Attorney to extend the stay of the ruling for an
additional 120 days to give the legislature more time to act. And
although the court’s deadline has passed, the General Assembly can
enact new felony murder sentencing legislation at any time.

For now, individuals serving mandatory sentences of death by
incarceration for felony murder in Pennsylvania will individually file
petitions for resentencing under Lee in the court that originally
sentenced them. Although the PA Supreme Court’s ruling applied
directly only to Lee, advocates expect at least some judges to
resentence other people under the terms of Lee, and for either the PA
Supreme Court or the legislature to make Lee retroactive.

Bret Grote of Abolitionist Law Center, and Kris Henderson of Amistad,
counsel in the Lee case, will present at the 2026 Second Look Network
Convening about the winding litigation path that led to the PA Supreme
Court’s groundbreaking opinion.

And TSP's Director of Research, Nazgol Ghandnoosh, published an update
on July 14, 2026 to TSP's report Felony Murder: An On-Ramp for Extreme
Sentencing, by Nazgol Ghandnoosh, Ph.D., Emma Stammen and Connie
Budaci. The update reflects the developments in Pennsylvania as well
as additional developments in other states.

07/15/2026

I have been incarcerated for 25 years under the Joint Venture Doctrine. My heart goes out to the victim and their family. I did not kill anyone nor did I orchestrate the plan to carry out such a violent act. I was convicted as the only black man and sentenced to die in prison under this theory.
This has destroyed not only my hope, my life, my future but that of family too. I, along with them, live my life over securus, a video visit and a few times an in person visit. I have missed the opportunity to see my daughter grow, graduate and watch the psychological effect it has had on her without a father. I miss holidays, birthdays and the ability to have rocked my baby to sleep. The events I have missed are insurmountable.

My wife had to raise, support and be a mother and father. This is devastating to her, to me and to our daughter. As a man, I am supposed to take care of my wife and daughter, not the wife who takes care of the daughter and is financially responsible for all. The burden on families is devastating.

I suffer from sickle cell anemia and my health is deteriorating. I am also deaf and suffer from glaucoma (legally blind).

I respectfully request that this legislation and the State of Massachusetts support second chances and vote in favor of giving a second chance. While I accept accountability for my former lifestyle, I did not commit a murder. I believe 25 years of punishment is enough. I am not the young man I was 25 years ago.

I hope all who is reading will support all those women and men incarcerated under the joint venture theory and help bring us home.

I encourage you to get involved and show and stand in support of We are Joint Venture, Inc.

Thank you
Harold Parker
MCI Shirley

07/13/2026

07/07/2026

We need community support on Thursday, July 9, 2026 at the Massachusetts State House, 10:00 a.m. Room 413 .

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." — Barack Obama

Help give Harold Parker and many of the women and men who are incarcerated under the joint venture doctrine a second chance.

Harold Parker, LWOP/JV
MCI Shirley