Under Pennsylvania law parole is theoretically available. In reality, however, parole is a lottery. It's a political illusion. There's no rhyme or reason to any part of the Pennsylvania parole system. It's completely capricious and very negative.
More now than at any time in the state's history, prisoners are being denied parole. Many, if not most, prisoners now must serve out their maximum sentences, a circumstance that the sentencing judge never anticipated. It doesn't matter what the prisoner does in prison, what programs he takes, how well he's "rehabilitated," or how deserving he is to be paroled. Parole is an illusion.
The capricious nature of the parole system teaches prisoners that the law is meaningless. If you are powerful enough (as the Parole Board is) you can do or not do whatever you please. You can be above the law. For all intents and purposes, the Parole Board is above the law, above the courts and above the Constitution. It's run completely amok.
In this department we present a few articles relating to the realities of parole in Pennsylvania, or the lack of it.