MOVE 9 say they deserve parole after 30 years

Pennsylvania Parole Board says they still pose a safety risk.

Members of Move remain in prison more than 30 years after being convicted of third-degree murder for the death of a Philadelphia Police Officer. They are frustrated about not being paroled.

Ramona Africa says members of the group convicted in the killing of Officer James Ramp in 1978 are unjustly imprisoned because of a lack of remorse and refusal to take responsibility for the officer’s murder.

“How do you make sense of this except to see clearly that there is no sense in it, they are just determined no matter what they are not going to parole my family. We’re saying this needs to be dealt with because they want my family to say they are guilty when they are not, they want them to lie.”

Paul Hetznecker was the attorney for the “Move 9” as they were called during their appeals process. He says they have been model prisoners.

“After 30 years in custody and complying with all the rules and regulations within the prison system they have been rehabilitated.”

A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Parole Board says the members of the group were convicted of “serious, violent crimes” and they continue to be a public safety risk, and that is why they have not been paroled. If they are not paroled, they will die in prison since they were sentenced to 30 to 100 years.