Frederick Page

In 1989, at age 29, Frederick Page was sentenced to a virtual life sentence of 42 ½ to 102 years in Philadelphia, PA for seventeen misdemeanor burglaries — a sentence with the potential to exceed his life. Over three decades in prison, Page has worked hard to make amends for his past and is focused on a positive path forward. Among his accomplishments is a Bachelor’s Degree and a journeyman’s license in plumbing with a certificate in carpentry. In addition, Page is the co-founder of the Community Forgiveness & Restoration re-entry program.

Page’s case has been assigned for review by Philadelphia’s Conviction Integrity Unit — a unit which has expanded efforts at investigating bias and sentencing inequities in recent years. Hopeful about this new opportunity for sentencing review, Page continues to reckon with the challenges and inadequacies of the criminal legal system: “Rehabilitation is more than just a word, it is a force in action/motion — which has been one of the critical missing ingredients from the criminal justice system.”¹

Page’s lengthy prison sentence is no longer doing the work of justice, and his situation is not unique. He is one of 2,981 Pennsylvanians serving a virtual life sentence in the state.