I'm a private citizen who filed a clemency [application] on behalf of my father. He's a non-violent prisoner serving a lengthy prison term. In effect it's a life sentence given his age and poor health. I went to the Board of Pardons [office] in Harrisburg [to] research their records and files. I was told [that] I was one of the few private citizens who have appeared at their office to look through public records. I was shocked [by what I found]. The Board's own records show [that] the Board is a farce. There is an appearance of a process, but, in fact, [there's] no process. They instill hope into the lives of inmates and their families where there is [really] no hope. No confined inmate has ever received clemency ... [not even] those for whom the system is set up for and intended for the most. It's quite sad and disturbing.