Criminal Justice Policy Coalition

10/19/2026

Subject: Ending Life Without Parole in Massachusetts — Important Restorative Justice Announcement
Dear Friends,
We are pleased to share an important update in our ongoing efforts to end life without parole in Massachusetts.
As we continue working toward meaningful legislative reform, we are excited to announce that we now have a resolute restorative justice expert, Adilson “TRU2IT” Neves who will help us develop and strengthen our upcoming bill. This expertise will be incorporated into the legislation and will provide valuable guidance as we work to advance alternatives that emphasize accountability, healing, rehabilitation, and the possibility of change.
Our restorative justice expert will also lend full support to our educational and advocacy efforts, including webinars, training, legislative briefings, and other initiatives designed to educate lawmakers, advocates, families, and the public about the importance of restorative justice.
We recognize that ending life without parole is a challenging undertaking, but we remain committed to moving this effort forward: all the while honoring a victim’s centric focus and reparative resolve for all crime impacted members after transformation.
Restorative justice will be an important part of our broader conversation about fairness, accountability, rehabilitation, and creating a justice system that recognizes the capacity for human growth and transformation.
To those of you who are incarcerated, please know that your voices and experiences matter. Your involvement is an important part of this movement, and we will continue working to ensure that your concerns are heard as we build support for legislative change.
This announcement represents another positive step forward. We are building our team, strengthening our legislative approach, and expanding our educational efforts to help make meaningful reform possible.
Our mission remains clear: to end life without parole in Massachusetts and advance a more just, humane, and restorative approach to criminal justice.
We will keep you informed as our work progresses. Thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and belief that change is possible.
In solidarity,
CELWOP — Campaign to End Life Without Parole

10/19/2026

10/14/2026

10/12/2026

CALLING ALL ADVOCATES, ORGANIZATIONS, FAMILIES & COMMUNITY PARTNERS!

The Campaign to End Life Without Parole (CELWOP) is actively seeking
new coalition members!

We believe that every human being deserves hope, the opportunity for
redemption, and a chance to demonstrate growth and change. Life
without parole sentences permanently deny that possibility, regardless
of rehabilitation, personal transformation, or the passage of time.

As we continue our fight to end life without parole, we are looking to
build a stronger, broader coalition of individuals and organizations
who share our commitment to justice, second chances, and meaningful
criminal justice reform.

🤝 WHO SHOULD JOIN OUR COALITION?

Criminal justice reform organizations and advocacy groups

Formerly incarcerated individuals

Family members and friends of those serving life without parole

Attorneys, educators, faith leaders, and community activists

Community organizations and concerned citizens

Anyone who believes in rehabilitation, redemption, and a more
compassionate justice system

You do not have to be an attorney, an activist, or part of an
organization to make a difference. If you have a loved one serving
life without parole, are a friend supporting someone affected by these
sentences, or simply believe that no one should lose hope of
redemption forever, we want you to stand with us!

💙 OUR MOVEMENT IS STRONGER TOGETHER!

By joining forces, we can amplify our voices, raise public awareness,
advocate for legislative change, and work toward a future where
justice leaves room for rehabilitation, growth, and hope.

The road ahead is not easy. Meaningful reform takes persistence,
collaboration, and collective action. But when families, friends,
advocates, and organizations stand together, our voices become
stronger.

📣 WILL YOU JOIN CELWOP IN THE FIGHT TO END LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE?

📩 Contact us today to learn how you can become a coalition member!

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 857-488-6506
Contact our Executive Director for information about joining the
coalition and getting involved.

ONE MOVEMENT. ONE MISSION. A FUTURE WITH HOPE.

Together, we can turn hope into action and fight for a justice system
that recognizes the possibility of change.

Please share this post and help us spread the word! Every voice
matters. Every family matters. Every life matters.

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

07/07/2026

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