The Joe Donovan Project

Donovan Granted Parole

jasonpugatch — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 17:34:21 +0000

On August 7, Joseph Donovan was granted parole by the the Massachusetts Parole Board. With the step down provision stipulated, he is eligible to be released from prison in 18 months.

LEF Foundation Gives $5,000 in Support of JDP

jasonpugatch — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 15:55:40 +0000

LEF Foundation Awards $30,000 in Development Funds to New England Independent Documentary Filmmakers

The LEF Foundation is excited to announce 6 grants totaling $30,000 in development funds to New England-based independent documentary filmmakers. The LEF Moving Image Fund invests in innovative feature-length documentary films that demonstrate excellence in technique, strong storytelling ability, and originality of artistic vision and voice. The selected projects address a broad range of topics and a variety of approaches to the documentary form. All of these filmmakers bring a strong creative eye to their work and share a unique intimacy with their subjects. Additionally, the grantees represent a group of filmmakers at different stages in their artistic careers, from emerging to established artists.

Jason Pugatch & Max McMahon – Untitled Joe Donovan/Juvenile Lifers Project ($5,000)

Sixty-five inmates sentenced as teenagers to life without the possibility of parole in Massachusetts are about to get a second chance at freedom. On May 29, Joe Donovan, in prison for 22 years on a natural life sentence, became the first to seek release.

Donovan 1st Lifer Youth In Massachusetts to Have Parole Hearing

jasonpugatch — Fri, 30 May 2014 15:32:37 +0000

Yesterday, Joseph Donovan sat before the Massachusetts parole board for 4 hours and answered questions on his crime, rehabilitation, and readiness to re-enter society. He was the first juvenile lifer to seek release from the parole board after the state’s landmark ruling in Diatchenko v. Suffolk County DA.

Donovan’s hearing is a story of local, national, and international interest. The Guardian notes that the United States is the only country in the world that allows juveniles to be sentenced to life without parole. More below on how the day is being reported.

Donovan to Have Parole Hearing

jasonpugatch — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 18:32:41 +0000

Nearly 22 years after being incarcerated, Donovan will appear before the Massachusetts Parole Board sometime on May 29. This is Donovan’s first chance at being released from prison — until last November, he was still sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

No Life Sentences for Juveniles

jasonpugatch — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 18:32:07 +0000

In a landmark ruling released on Christmas eve, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court found that life sentences without the chance of parole are unconstitutional for juveniles. This means that Joe Donovan must be given a meaningful opportunity for parole.

Coverage at CBS.

Coverage at Boston Globe (subscription required)

Mass SJC Hears Juvenile Resentencing Cases

jasonpugatch — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 21:32:49 +0000

On September 4th, The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court heard oral testimony from two cases that will clarify whether the Supreme Court’s Miller v. Alabama decision should be retroactively applied to all cases of juveniles sentenced to life without parole in Massachusetts. You can watch the testimony from the two cases here and here.

The opinion of the Court, to be released in December 2013, will likely determine if Joe and others sentenced as juveniles to life without parole in Massachusetts are entitled to so-called “Miller Hearings” where sentences could be amended. These hearings could possibly provide opportunities for judges to consider the circumstances of the crime, subsequent sentencing and the fact that at the time of conviction the juvenile had “diminished culpability and heightened capacity for change.”

The opinion of the court will very likely influence Joe Donovan’s future and the path his legal team will navigate to ensure his release.