John,

If I never do anything else in my public life than seeing George Trudel and Naomi Blount get home for their first Thanksgiving with family in a combined 70 years — despite never taking a life — I'm okay with that.

George and Naomi were both serving life sentences for murder (again, despite having never taken a life) until their terms were commuted by the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons earlier this year. Now they're employed by the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, working to identify inmates that might be eligible for sentence commutation and then helping them through the process.

It keeps me up at night, knowing that there are thousands of Pennsylvania prisoners who would be best served by returning to their families. Our laws are based on Judeo-Christian principles. One of the core tenets of that system is the power of redemption and forgiveness. That process had been all but extinct.

Until now. Under Governor Wolf, Pennsylvania believes in second chances — a judicial system that both protects the rights of victims and ensures that those working hard to rehabilitate themselves are given a shot at an earned second chance. We want to make sure that no one is condemned to die in prison that, in the interest of justice, would be better served by living on the outside and contributing in a manner like George and Naomi are.

And if you or anyone around the dinner table tomorrow are unmoved by basic compassion or a sense of proportional justice: it cost Pennsylvania $100,000 a year to warehouse two people for nearly 70 years that never killed anyone.

So as we break for a long Thanksgiving weekend with our loved ones, please take a moment to remember that thousands of prisoners and their families won't be as lucky as Gisele and I are to celebrate with our beautiful children and extended family. But I'm grateful that people like George and Naomi will have the chance once again — and that hopefully, many more will get to join their families in the years to come.

Happy Thanksgiving,

John

P.S. The holiday season is also incredibly tough on Pennsylvania families already struggling with food insecurity. Please consider volunteering time or resources at a food bank near you — you can find one by clicking here.

Donate →

Paid for by Team Fetterman

This email was sent to [email protected]. As Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, John Fetterman is championing bold, progressive leadership in Harrisburg. Follow the campaign on Facebook and Twitter. This campaign is powered by people like you — so if you want to make a donation, click here! We believe that emails are a critical way for the campaign to stay connected with people like you. We'd hate to see you go, but click here if you would like to unsubscribe from future updates from Team Fetterman. P.O. Box F, BRADDOCK, PA 15104