Tyrone Werts is an American man who was convicted of a second-degree murder committed in 1975, for which he received a life sentence; however, he was released after 36 years instead.
This was an extremely rare case as the law in Pennsylvania says that for those convicted of 1st or 2nd degree murder and given a life sentence, there is no possibility for parole (Gottschalk).
He is most known as an ex-convict who was released from prison after serving 36 years of what was supposed to be a life sentence.
Werts had decided to stay in the car, which was parked two blocks from the scene of the crime.
He acted as the getaway driver after the other men involved in the crime had murdered a man named William Bridgeman when the robbery went wrong.
Instead Werts was charged with second-degree murder and received a life sentence without the possibility of parole, to be served at Graterford Prison in Perkiomen, Pennsylvania (Fiedler).
Through his time in prison, Werts created programs and mentored other inmates in order to reduce crime rate and allow those who have a second chance at life to take advantage of the opportunity.
Because of his work and good standing while at Graterford, Governor Ed Rendell commuted Werts' life sentence on December 30, 2010.
The three were sent to live in a halfway house near Eight and Callowhill in Philadelphia, where they were constantly checked on, had a curfew, and were randomly drug tested and breathalyzed.
Werts spent 36 years behind bars at the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution at Graterford.
Werts was most influential in bringing the Inside Out Program to Graterford Prison, where he was serving his time.
The hope is that as peers, the two populations from different worlds can share their thoughts on each matter and gain a better understanding of each issue.
He was a long-term member of Graterford's Think Tank, which was the main group that developed the Inside Out Program and made it become nationwide (Davis and Roswell).
Though, he quickly noticed many changes that had occurred throughout the city of Philadelphia while he was serving his time.
He speaks at college campuses and other places about crime prevention and shares his story with people in hopes that it will inspire change in both the law and in our society.