Gov. Wolf Commutes Sentences Of 3 PA State Prison Lifers

Three men sentenced to life in prison have had their punishment commuted by Gov. Wolf, bringing the total number of lifers he has commuted to eight.

It's another sign of the shift in thinking of some state leaders regarding the justice system and the effectiveness of certain penalties.

The three men are Philadelphia's George Trudel, 52, Philadelphia's Adolfo Carillo, 79, and Pittsburgh's Samuel Barlow, 68, as Philly.com first reported. Trudel and Barlow were both convicted as accomoplices; Trudel watched his friend kill someone and helped hide the murder weapon, while Barlow was a lookout in a fatal bank robbery in 1968. Carillo, meanwhile, killed a neighbor who had wronged his wife, the report states.

"We are overjoyed for George and the other lifers whose sentences were commuted," the Amistad Law Project, which had advocated for Trudel's release, said in a statement Monday. "We're excited to be part of movement dedicated to shifting the political context to make more moments like this possible and hopeful that we are beginning to see a small shift in the Board of Pardons towards granting more commutation recommendations."

Commutation was once a common practice in Pennsylvania. As recently as the early 1990s, during Gov. Bob Casey Sr.'s regime, a total of 27 inmates had life sentences commuted. Gov. Milton Shapp commuted a whopping 251 during his 1971-1978 turn in office.

But there were only six life sentences commuted between 1995 and when Gov. Wolf came into office.

For an inmate convicted to a life sentence to have their sentence commuted, the must first have a hearing before the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, which then votes on whether to recommend a commuted sentence or not. Then, the recommendation goes to Gov. Wolf's office.

It's not the only punitive measure that's getting a harder look in Pennsylvania. A bill has been proposed in the state legislature to permanently abolish the death penalty.

While behind bars for more than 30 years, Trudel received a Bachelor's degree from Villanova. Trudel's case in particular represents a "unique travesty" according to Amistad and advocates. He was convicted in 1988 of second degree murder and mandatory life in prison without parole, while the man who actually committed the killing received a third degree murder conviction and a 7.5 to 15 year sentence.

Legislation has been introduced — Senate Bill 942 — that would make lifers eligible for parole after 15 years of incarceration.

The three will be released immediately, though they must first spend a minimum of a year in a halfway house, according to WITF.