Oldest Juvenile Prisoner Turns down Parole,wants Outright Freedom

A 79-year-old murderer who has spent 63 years in prison in Philadelphia has turned down the chance of parole – claiming he should be freed outright instead. Joseph Ligon has been in prison since the age of 15 – and is believed to be the oldest ‘juvenile lifer’ in the world.


He says he did not commit the two murders for which he has served 63 years – and says he should be released outright, instead of going before the parole board. Ligon was illiterate and part of a gang of boys who went on the rampage in 1953, stabbing eight people – Ligon says he stabbed a man, but not one of the two who died. But he was persuaded to plead guilty to murder, and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in January that juveniles sentenced to life in prison should have the possibility of parole. Bradley Bridge of the Defender Association of Philadelphia told a court, ‘His view is: He’s been in long enough. ‘He doesn’t want to be on probation or parole. He just wants to be released.