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If any one thing would improve the prison system and make it more humane, it would be restoring the right to vote to the state's 36,000 prisoners. Oddly enough, under the Pennsylvania Constitution (a little known or respected document ignored by politicians), prisoners already have the right to vote. It's their constitutional right.
But, and a big "but" it is, the legislature is allowed to chose who may register to vote and who may get absentee ballots. So the "right" to vote has been sacrificed on the political altar. Prisoners aren't permitted to register (it's a crime, even to try) and prisoners can't get absentee ballots.

Thankfully, Pennsylvania still has a few white knights. A glowing example is Jon Yount, a prisoner at the State Correctional Institution at Huntingdon, one of the most horrendous "camps" in the state. Mister Yount worked for over a year to formulate a suit to vindicate prisoners' claim to the right to vote. After months of research and planning, recruiting and lobbying, he had an excellent document.

The action was filed in early 1999 in Pennsylvania's infamous Commonwealth Court, as repressive and arcane a body as you are likely to find in any civilized country. It is docketed as: Lorenzo L. Mixon, et al. v Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, et al., 384 MD 1999.

Another white knight, Samuel Stretton, a superlative attorney from Chester County, Pennsylvania, is representing the case "pro bono," or for the good of the community. While Attorney Stretton may run for office, our not-for-profit status forbids us from endorsing him.

On the other side, Senior Deputy Pennsylvania Attorney General, Francis R. Filipi (ffilipi@attorneygeneral.gov) is representing the forces of oppression and darkness.

We compliment and admire both Mister Yount and Attorney Stretton and we sincerely wish them (and all Pennsylvania prisoners) success.