George Martorano

Updated on Nov 01, 2023

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Other names George Martorano		Name George Martorano

Occupation 1 of the longest serving non-violent 1st time drug offenders in history Children Raymond Martorano Jr., Francesca Martorano Parent(s) Raymond Martorano Sr., Evelyn Martorano

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George Martorano (born 1950) was the longest-serving first-time non-violent offender in the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the time of his release. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 1988 on drugs charges. Martonaro was released in October 2015 after serving 27 years.

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In 1984, on the advice of his attorney Robert Simone, Martorano pleaded guilty to 19 counts of drug possession and distribution. Martorano was subsequently advised by both the prosecution and the judge, John Berne Hannum, that this plea could result in a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. The prosecution, however, had only recommended a sentence of from 40 to 54 months. On September 20, 1984, Martorano was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the longest prison term ever imposed on a first-time non-violent offender in American history.

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Controversy

George Martorano George Martorano prisoner of the drug war

Prior to Martorano's sentencing, Simone was indicted on tax evasion charges. Again, before sentence was imposed in the Martorano case, Judge Hannum testified as a character witness for Simone. An article appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News criticizing the judge and called his testimony "highly unusual". Martorano stated in subsequent appeals that Judge Hannum should have recused himself from his case prior to imposing sentence.

Life in prison

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Martorano distinguished himself during his time in federal prison. In addition to being a "model" prisoner, Martorano:

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prevented the hijacking of an aircraft by prisoners while in transit from Philadelphia to Oklahoma, OK following the loss of his 33rd appeal. This incident has been documented by the FBI and FBOP and was called "extraordinary" by D.C. DeCamillus, SIS lieutenant

was considered one of the most prolific writers in the Federal Prison System, having authored more than 31 books. He has also written numerous short stories, screenplays and poems

published a self-help booklet for inmates entitled the "ShotCaller". This publication has been approved by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) for use in prisoner re-entry programs

has developed a creative writing course - "The Write to Life" - which has assisted numerous inmates in earning GEDs and developing creative writing skills.

is a certified suicide watch counselor. He often uses himself as an example in this role, telling fellow inmates: "If I have hope facing what I am facing every day so can you."

was one of the first inmates in the FBOP system to exercise his First Amendment rights digitally, by publishing his work on his blog (www.freegeorge.us) and his website(www.webelievegroup.com)

recently developed a website www.childrenontheoutsidewithparentsontheinside.com, to help children of inmates cope with their parent's incarceration.

Appeals

Martorano appealed his original sentence in 1987 and appeared again before Judge Hannum, receiving the same sentence. Subsequently, Martorano has filed over 35 appeals. All the presiding judges upheld the original sentence.

Release

Martorano was released from United States Penitentiary, Coleman, Florida, on October 5, 2015. His release was part of thousands of prisoners released by the Department of Justice to "reduce overcrowding and provide relief to drug offenders who received harsh sentences".

References

George Martorano Wikipedia

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