Wednesday, July 8, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Statewide

PA is only one of a handful of states that requires a  mandatory sentence of life without parole (death by incarceration) for felony/second-degree murder. This a charge can be brought against any person who participates in a felony that leads to a death, even if that person didn’t cause – or even know about – the death. Not surprisingly, most individuals charged and convicted of this crime are disproportionately low-income and/or Black.

On March 26, 2026, in a unanimous decision, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court found this sentencing scheme unconstitutional in the case of Commonwealth v. Lee. More than 1,000 people in PA state prisons are now serving an illegal sentence. The PA Supreme Court gave the General Assembly 120 days to create a remedy for this unjust situation.

We must mobilize now to push the legislature to pass meaningful second-degree sentencing reform legislation: PA House Bill 443! The bill would grant the chance of parole to all those currently serving this draconian sentence; it would have no mandatory minimum for people convicted of second-degree homicide in the future.

Take action and send a clear message to PA Gov. Josh Shapiro that you support HB 443: call and text numbers and script

Want to make your call with others? Join us on Zoom sometime between 2 – 3:30 PM: bit.ly/0708-zoom

Questions? Contact lizz@straight-ahead.org