My name is Edward Sistrunk, AKA Omar Askia Ali.
In most states, there is parole eligibility for life-sentence prisoners. However, that is not the case in Pennsylvania. Therefore, House Bill 135 has been submitted for the second time, which would provide- provide parole eligibility for life-sentence prisoners in Pennsylvania.
Representative Jason Dawkins, a Democrat, resubmitted the bill because he could not muster the needed support to bring this bill into fruition the first time.
Although Representative Dawkins has reintroduced the parole eligibility bill, there is still a dire need for House Bill 2135, which is the new number for this bill. What is needed is for families, friends, and supporters to contact all Pennsylvania legislators, regardless of which district they are in. We must urge him to support House Bill 135.
The parliament’s state reps are already co-sponsoring House Bill 135: [unintelligible names]. We are all aware of a family member or friend in Pennsylvania who is surviving- serving life without the possibility of parole who’s worthy of a chance at life. On the other side of the wall, we need at least 103 legislators to sign on to endorse House Bill 135. Even if there’s no one in your family with a life sentence, House Bill 135 is the right thing to do.
The HRC, the Human Rights Coalition in Philly, is staging an event with floats, etcetera, in support of parole for lifers. You can contact them at the Human Rights Coalition at 4134 Lancaster Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104. [Inaudible]
Please keep in mind, out of the over 5,000 life sentence prisoners in terms of angels, 225 are juvenile lifers. The Philadelphia Defenders Association represents 75% of them, which they have been marginally funded. We hope you will support this effort. Thank you very much.
These commentaries are recorded by Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio.