April 9th, 2020

Hon. Tom Wolf

Governor of Pennsylvania
508 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120

Dear Governor Wolf,

A horrible illness is spreading across our Commonwealth. It’s afflicting people in every county
and people from all walks of life and backgrounds. We write to you as people of faith to thank
you for the decisive measures you have taken to protect Pennsylvanians. As our communities
work to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe, we call on you to take greater action to protect
incarcerated people and Department of Corrections staff by using your power of reprieve to
temporarily suspend the sentences of elderly and vulnerable people.

We are getting a glimpse of the future of PA prisons with the situation on Rikers Island in New
York, where infection in the jail is “just under 2.8%, which is nearly 10 times higher than the rate
in New York State and 18 times higher than the rate in Italy.”1 In the correctional environment
where people are held in close quarters, social distancing is not possible and the virus spreads
quickly. We understand that measures are being taken to restrict the movement of the
population, but we also know that people cannot be indefinitely confined to their cells, and that
this virus is highly contagious. We must take action now to reduce the risk of serious harm and
death to elderly and vulnerable incarcerated people.

If COVID-19 becomes widespread in the concentrated populations of the state prisons, it also
also puts Department of Corrections staff and their families at higher risk. With many state
prisons located in rural areas with more limited health care infrastructure compared to
metropolitan areas, it's not hard to imagine what lies in store. The virus will become widespread
in the prisons. Correctional officers and other staff will in turn carry the virus to vulnerable
members of their families and communities and rural healthcare systems will become inundated.
We simply must do everything in our power to reduce the likelihood of that future.

This week, Jewish communities will celebrate the story of the Jewish people’s liberation.
Christian communities will mark the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our faith traditions call us
to preserve and work for the freedom and well-being of all peoples. We call on you to do the
following:

Use your power of reprieve to temporarily suspend the sentences of elderly and
vulnerable people. ​On a recent press call, Department of Corrections Secretary Wetzel said

1
​https://www.businessinsider.com/failure-to-release-prisoners-is-condemning-thousands-to-death-2020-4
that there are 12,000 people that are medically vulnerable in the state prisons based on the
CDC’s guidelines. We know that of those 12,000, a little under 2,000 are over the age of 60. As
you have rightly noted when using your power of reprieve to stop the death penalty from being
carried out, that power to temporarily suspend sentences is ‘express and unlimited’ and that “the
Governor may define the reason for, and duration of, a reprieve as he sees fit.” We need you to
show mercy and use this power now. Start with those that can quickly assemble home plans
and have the Department of Corrections assist those who may need help assembling a home
plan.

Ask the parole board to create categories of presumptive parole to quickly get people out
of the system. ​There are many people who have served their minimum sentences. Ask the
Parole Board to assemble criteria that grants the presumption of parole if they have been
misconduct free for a certain time or demonstrated rehabilitation in other ways.

You have the power in your hands to save thousands of lives. Not only that, but you have the
power to show people in the Commonwealth that leadership must be humane and
compassionate. We call on you to use that power in this moment.

Sincerely,

Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler, Mother Bethel AME Church

Rabbi Elyse Wechterman, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
Dwayne Royster, Interim Executive DIrector POWER
Dr Damone B Jones Sr, Bible Way Baptist Church
Rabbi Adam Zeff, Germantown Jewish Centre
Rev. Gregory Holston, Janes Memorial UMC
Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Reconstructing Judaism
Rev. Sandra L. Strauss, Pennsylvania Council of Churches
Rev. Abbey Tennis, First Unitarian Church
Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg
Pastor ​John Bergen, Germantown Mennonite Church
Rev. Margaret Ernst, Chestnut Hill United Church
Rev. Dr. Kipp Gilmore-Clough, Chestnut Hill United Church
Rabbi Alan LaPayover
Rev. McKinley Lynn Sims, Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration
Rabbi Sheila Weinberg
Reverend Jay Broadnax, Mt. Pisgah A.M.E. Church
Rabbi Annie Lewis, Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel
Rev. Dr. Julia Sheetz-Willard, Villanova University Campus Minister
Rabbi Myriam Klotz, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute for Religion
Rev. Dr. Malcolm T. Byrd, Philadelphia Forum for Faith, Law and Civics
Rabbi Erin Hirsh
Rev. Caroline Cupp, First Presbyterian Church
Rabbi Ari Lev Fornari, Kol Tzedek Synagogue
Father Sylvester Peterka, St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church
Rabbi Shawn Zevit, Mishkan Shalom
Rev. Sandra R Mackie, Christ Lutheran Dillsburg, PA
Rabbi Dr. Mira Wasserman, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Rev. Dr. Gregory Edwards, Resurrected Life Community Church, United Church of Christ
Pastor David Tatgenhorst, St. Luke United Methodist Church (Bryn Mawr)
Rabbi Yael Levy, Mishkan Shalom
Janine Jankovitz, Rabbinical Student
Alanna Kleinman, Rabbinical Student
Pastor Robert Collier Sr, Galilee Baptist Church
Rabbi Margot Stein
Pastor Jeff Ewing, First Lutheran church
Rabbi Maurice Harris, Reconstructing Judaism - Dept for Thriving Communities
Margaret Carrow, Unitarian Universalist Pennsylvania Legislative Advocacy Network
Rabbi Debra Cohen
Rev. Dr. Chris Kimmenez, Lombard Central Presbyterian Church
Rabbi Micah Weiss
Rabbi Alissa Wise
Rev. Paul A Hagedorn, Tabernacle Lutheran Church
Rabbi Robert Tabak
Rabbi Jacob J Staub, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Pastor Timothy Seitz-Brown, The Grace Conspiracy
Rabbi Alanna Sklover, Or Hadash ( Ft. Washington, PA)
Pastor Lorie Hershey, West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship
Rabbi Mordechai Liebling
Rabbi Rebecca Alpert, Tikkun Olam Chavurah
Clerk Dana P. Reinhold, Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of
Friends
Rabbi Mónica Gomery, Kol Tzedek Synagogue
Rabbi Dr. Arthur Waskow, The Shalom Center
Dr. A. E. Sullivan, The Gospel Truth Global Apostolic Network
Rabbi Linda Holtzman, Tikkun Olam Chavurah
Rabbi Elisa Goldberg, Temple Micah
Rev. Roger Zepernick, St. Paul's Lutheran Church (Olney)
Rabbi Marjorie Berman, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Rabbi Michael Ramberg
Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart, Living Water United Church of Christ
Rabbi Phyllis Berman, Mishkan Shalom
Rabbi Dena Trugman
Rabbi Marley Weiner, Dickinson College- Asbell Center for Jewish Life
Pastor Tim Emmett-Rardin, Calvary United Methodist Church
Rabbi Rayna Grossman
Pastor Greg Impink, Ironville and Newtown United Methodist Church
Pastor Karen Lundwall, Luther Memorial
Nora Nash, Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia
Rev. David T Akers, Ascension United Church of Christ
Chaplain James Cavenaugh, Unitarian Church of Harrisburg