Who We Are
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The Parole Review For All (PRFA) committee is a project of the Criminal Justice Policy Coalition Inc.
Parole Review For All has its origins in the CJPC, which was formed in 1996 and which over the years has been an active and influential participant in campaigns to reform the Massachusetts criminal legal system across the board. In 2003, CJPC became the first statewide organization to formally oppose life without parole. PRFA later came together as a CJPC task force in March 2015 to launch a public education initiative in support of legislation that would eliminate life without parole prison sentences in the Commonwealth. CJPC on May 23, 2003, at its annual members' meeting, adopted the following statement: "The Board of the Criminal Justice Policy Coalition, after several years of consideration, is endorsing Life with the Possibility of Parole after 25 Years as the appropriate maximum sentence to be given to those convicted of any crime, including First Degree Murder. Currently the Commonwealth imposes the sentence of Life Without Parole (LWOP) as the maximum sentence for those convicted of First Degree Murder." The CJPC opposes LWOP as it does the Death Penalty, viewing both sentences as antithetical to a criminal justice policy based on restorative principles. In 2010, CJPC published an extended document calling into question LWOP as the maximum sentence in the Commonwealth. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court and MA Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) eliminated LWOP sentences for juveniles. As a consequence of these alleviations, the MA General Court, or legislature, passed harsher penalties for those convicted of Second Degree Murder — both juveniles and adults. In addition it expanded the use of natural life sentences through a "Three Strikes" bill. CJPC decided that a second edition was needed. After its 2016 publication, several MA residents came together to begin pushing for the reforms needed to eliminate life sentences through changes to the Massachusetts General Laws. Subsequent to that, the SJC in September, 2017 weakened the hold of LWOP by narrowing the use of felony murder. The work to date has been a volunteer effort, with occasional assistance of a project coordinator, and has been entirely funded by its core of committee members. Those wishing to assist are encouraged to visit our Take Action webpage. |
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Lloyd Fillion is a former board member of the Criminal Justice Policy Coalition. Once, he
volunteered for the staff of the
National Committee Against Repressive Legislation (NCARL),
and became their lobbyist in Washington, D.C. His study of our criminal
justice system began in the 1970s at NCARL, tracking Supreme Court rulings
related to capital punishment. His acquaintance with prisons began with numerous
arrests for civil disobedience and anti-war protests. Lloyd collaborated with Gordon Haas, President of the Lifers Group at MCI-Norfolk, to publish
"Life Without Parole: Reconsidered".
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Paul Galofaro resides in Attleboro. He is a U.S. Navy Veteran and a member of the
American Legion. Paul has been one of the outside volunteers at MCI Norfolk
supporting the
American Veterans In Prison
group for over 3 years. During his time in
service to this group he has observed that many men have done everything they can to
improve themselves with the programs available to them over their lengthy time of
incarceration through education and emotional and mental health groups. Many
would be worthy of an opportunity for parole if given a fair review to re-enter society.
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Nathaniel Harrison and his wife returned to the United States in 2014 following his
retirement from the French news agency,
Agence France-Presse,
where he had worked
as a correspondent and editor for nearly 30 years. Key among his reasons for returning
was a desire to join the groundswell against mass incarceration in the United States.
While overseas he maintained a connection with several men serving life sentences in
Massachusetts. In France, as a prison visitor, he was in contact with men serving
short-to-medium sentences in four different French prisons.
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Robert Marra assists Cambridge Health Alliance clinical staff and area police with the
social service needs of patients recently returning from prison. He is an advisor to and member
of Harvard Medicine Indivisible, a group of students, researchers and providers in medicine,
nursing, and other allied health fields as well as other Greater Boston residents organizing to
protect and improve the health and well-being of all. Bob is working on curricula for people
coming out of prison and their family members.
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Laurie Taymor-Berry began social and economic justice work as an organizer for the
Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party in 1971. She worked as a Protective Social
Worker and Program Development Specialist for the Massachusetts Department of
Social Services for over a decade before serving as the Legislative Liaison for Survivors' Inc.
a low-income women’s nonprofit for the next twenty years. Currently, Laurie serves on the
External Advisory Board of the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy at UMass,
Boston and has been a longtime member of the Boston Branch of the
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
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Jon Tetherly is an ordained United Church of Christ minister and the recently retired
protestant chaplain of the Hampden Correctional Center in Ludlow. He a board member of
Massachusetts Citizens Against the Death Penalty,
and chair of the Hampden County Chapter
of MCADP. He also chairs the Actual Justice Task Team of the Massachusetts Conference of
the United Church of Christ. Jon is a trustee of the Pioneer Valley Central Labor Council, and
frequently gives invocations at labor events. He often visits two people serving life without parole
sentences. Jon makes maple syrup for sale and is a track and field official for area high schools
and colleges.
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Sponsored by... 
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