Pennsylvania inmate serving life sentence granted medical release after health deterioration

An ailing inmate, Ezra Bozeman, 68, who has been serving a life sentence in Pennsylvania for a 1975 robbery and murder, has been granted a medical release by a judge in Allegheny County. Despite being on a ventilator in an intensive care unit due to sepsis and complications from quadriplegia, Bozeman's petition for release was supported by Gov. Josh Shapiro and the superintendent of the state prison at Laurel Highlands where he has been incarcerated.

The Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala had initially opposed Bozeman’s petition. However, it was reported that Judge Susan Evashavik DiLucente stated during a court hearing on Monday that she would grant the petition. Zappala's office mentioned that it had not yet seen a court order and, as a result, could not confirm whether it would appeal the decision.

Compassionate Release Law

Under Pennsylvania’s 15-year-old compassionate release law, a judge can grant the transfer of a seriously ill inmate who is expected to die within one year to a private medical facility. Bozeman's legal team expressed hope that his condition would stabilize so that he could be transferred to a long-term care facility.

Bozeman was represented by the Abolitionist Law Center and Amistad Law Project. Sean Damon of Amistad Law Project stated, "Ezra Bozeman has been a shining example of what it means to live as a dignified human being, even as he received poor medical care as a quadriplegic."