[Ppnews] MOVE women denied parole

[Political Prisoner News]

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/breaking/news_breaking/20080422_No_paroles_for_3_MOVE_members.html


No parole for 3 MOVE members
By Emilie Lounsberry

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Three female MOVE members who have been behind bars since the 1978
shootout that killed Philadelphia Police Officer James Ramp and injured
seven others were denied parole this morning, according to a spokesman for
the state Board of Probation and Parole.

Debbie Sims Africa, Janet Hollaway Africa and Janine Phillips Africa were
just informed of the decision and the reasons for the rejection, spokesman
Leo Dunn said.

Dunn said each was informed they had minimized or denied the "nature and
circumstances" of the offense, "refused to accept responsibility" and
lacked remorse.

He said the fourth reason for the rejections was the "negative
recommendation" by the prosecutor.

Decisions are still pending for four other MOVE members eligible for
parole consideration this month. Five of nine votes would be required for
parole to be granted.

The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office urged the board to require the
defendants to serve the maximum of their 30- to 100-year prison terms.
The seven were among nine MOVE members convicted in a 19-week trial in
1980. An eighth defendant will be eligible for parole next year; a ninth
died in prison.

All nine were found guilty of third-degree murder in the shooting death of
Ramp and the attempted murders of the others shot and injured that day,
when police tried to evict 12 adults and 11 children from their
headquarters at 33d and Pearl Streets in Poweltown Village.

The 1978 confrontation was a pivotal moment in the city's torturous
history with the radical group and ultimately set the stage for another
disaster - the May 1985 fire that killed 11 MOVE members, including five
children, and destroyed 61 houses in West Philadelphia. The 11 were killed
after police dropped a bomb on the MOVE headquarters and decided to let it
burn.



Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/ppnews_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20080422/046b6c5b/attachment.htm>