FFLW - Main Page
MISSION STATEMENT: Fight For Lifers West is dedicated to supporting people sentenced to life without parole and their loved ones while striving to improve the criminal justice system and building positive community relationships.
Fight For Lifers West is a group of people
comprised of family, friends and others who are concerned with issues regarding those who are serving Life WithOut Parole in Pennsylvania. At times, we coordinate our efforts with Fight For Lifers, Inc. in Philadelphia as well as with several other justice seeking organizations both inside and outside of the walls. We advocate for lifer inmates and their loved ones, discuss ways to affect positive change and offer support. We believe that Life WithOut Parole is both archaic and inhumane. It is also cruel and unusual punishment. Therefore, changes in PA laws need to be implemented. We try to recruit others, enlist public support and contact members of the Pennsylvania legislature when appropriate.
History:
Years before Fight For Lifers West affliliated with the Philadelphia Fight For Lifers Group, family members and friends were meeting at The Hospitality House as a support group. One of the members saw an article about the Philadelphia Group in the "Graterfriends" newsletter and contacted them. Both groups wanted to set up a meeting and members from the Fight For Lifers Group in Philadelphia traveled to Pittsburgh to help them form their organization. In the beginning, Fight For Lifers West was loosely organized and soon saw the need for officers and meeting structure. It continues to grow, to become more organized and to make changes as needed.
General Information:
Fight For Lifers West is currently the only organization in Western Pennsylvania that attempts to deal with the issue of Life WithOut Parole Sentences. It is at present trying to enlist support from other agencies, organizations and fellowships so that we will have a greater impact and voice. We are a project of the Thomas Merton Center and are under their 501-C-3 (tax exempt) umbrella.
Life Means Life in Pennsylvania:
There is no minimum sentence for life in Pennsylvania. If a person is found guilty of first or second degree murder, they are sentenced to Life WithOut Parole. There are currently over 4600 lifers in PA prisons and of those, 400+ were sentenced as juveniles. We lead the nation in the number of juvenile life sentences. Life WithOut Parole (LWOP) only ends when a sentence is commuted or the lifer's natural life ends. At present, the commutation process is ineffective as it is set up. A lifer has to go through a difficult process to be considered for commutation and then they have to receive a favorable decision from the Board of Pardons and the governor's signature. (Only two lifers have been commuted since 1992. Another was given clemency by the governor in 2007)
As lifer prisoners continue to age, prisons are becoming more overcrowded. They are also becoming a larger tax burden on Pennsylvania citizens. Deserving lifers are not given the chance to give back to society. Worse than any of that, there is no "hope" for these lifers or their families at present. The current atmosphere of the legislature and public seems to be "lock them up and throw away the key." They cannot seem to envision that these lifers are human beings who deserve to have their merits considered. Although there may be some lifers who should not be considered for parole, most have matured and have shown remorse throughout their incarceration. Most lifers are considered "model" prisoners and the "pillars" of their prison communities. If given the chance, they could become useful citizens who would give back to society and contribute to the tax revenue, rather than take from it.
Our Goals:
1. To educate other organizations and the general public about Life With-Out Parole in Pennsylvania.
2. To encourage a 3rd sentencing option, Life With Parole, for first and second degree murder cases. (most states offer this option)
3. To urge the legislature to establish a minimum sentence for lifers. (most states have a minimum sentence for first and second degree murder)
4. To promote the realization that lifers are fellow human beings, therefore capable of change and redemption.
Who is Serving Life WithOut Parole in PA?Mothers, Fathers, Sisters, Brothers, Sons, Daughters, family members and friends. Real Human Beings with Feelings, not just numbers to be forgotten. It can be any of us, given certain circumstances.
Real human beings, who may be innocent of the crime, but because they lacked the necessary resources (money, knowledge, connections) for exoneration, are sitting in prison for the rest of their natural lives.
Juveniles - who have not yet gained the emotional maturity to make rational decisions. Roper v Simmons has proven this in the United States Supreme Court regarding juveniles on death row.
Mentally Challenged/Mentally Retarded Individuals: They also do not have emotional maturity or capable reasoning.
Co-Conspirators: People who were at the wrong place at the wrong time when a life was taken. In Pennsylvania, they pay the same price - Life WithOut Parole
Real human beings who made a horrible mistake and who will live with that mistake for the rest of their lives. No matter how remorseful they are, Pennsylvanians will not forgive them and allow them to give back to the community that they took from. They cannot aid in crime prevention, help victims heal, pay taxes or ever feel human again. All they can look forward to is getting older, increasing health problems, watching their loved ones pass on and remaining a tax burden. It is actually a death sentence except that the death is long and tortuous. Conditions in PA prisons are sometimes abusive and usually neglective. Prisons have become human warehouses and the Dept. of Corrections police themselves. There are grievance processes in place, but retributions are metted out if a prisoner uses them. Segregation units have become common place and at times barbaric places of torture and humiliation. Diseases such as untreatable staph infections, Hepititis C, HIV/AIDS and TB run rampant and become a safety issue not only for the inmates, but for the staff and public as well. Some of us refer to LWOP as "The Living Death."
Our Motto:
"We are dedicated to giving lifers and their loved ones hope and we will continue our efforts until they are given the justice and mercy that all human beings deserve"