Overview
- Lawmakers left Harrisburg without passing a replacement law, making it likely the court‑set July 24 deadline to fix the mandatory life‑without‑parole scheme will be missed.
- In March the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled the mandatory life‑without‑parole penalty for second‑degree murder unconstitutional and gave the legislature 120 days to craft a new sentencing framework that requires judges to weigh individual culpability.
- About 1,100 people statewide, including more than 500 in Philadelphia, are serving mandatory life‑without‑parole for second‑degree murder and could be affected as judges have been delaying new sentences while waiting for legislative guidance.
- The Senate passed SB1400, which would set parole eligibility after 35 years, while House Democrats have pushed lower caps or parole after 25 years, and those differences prevented a compromise before adjournment.
- State officials warn hundreds of inmates could seek immediate relief when the stay expires and public defenders, prosecutors and courts face large costs and years of resentencings and litigation if lawmakers do not act.