I'd like to share with everyone one of the biggest jokes going on in Pennsylvania. The only problem is, it isn't all that funny. The joke is called "Commutation." It's that line of crap that's fed to everyone about how someone doing a life sentence in this state has a chance of getting out by having his sentence commuted. But the big joke is simply it doesn't exist. There is no such thing in this state. Though the system of commutation exists to this day, at least in theory, it needs to be looked at. Now recently, I found myself sitting in on a meeting held here at the State Correctional Institute in Huntingdon. The trheme of the meeting was "Commutation." The people conducting the meeting were the representatives who appear to represent us prisoners. But from the very start they made it clear that, "The Door's Closed." "Nobody is getting commutation." That was a bit of news that you can bet didn't exactly brighten my day up. So I figured at that point our guests were going to tell uswhat they're doing to help change that. I couldn't be more wrong about any single thing. What they in fact did was go about telling us how to apply for commutation. Excuse me, am I missing something? It's like telling me that I can't break down a steel wall with my head but go and give it a shot anyway. Okay, I asked this simple quesiton, "Why in the good name of God is this commutation thing even there???? And please, don't tell me it's because they're being fair. Remember, we already know that the answer is going to be 'No.' Seems to me that it's nothing but a waste of time and effort." The only rason I can come up with to why commutations' still there is, maybe it's saving some worthless jobs, both for and against us. And when you stop to look at who it is that makes up the board of this commutation, all fairness is most definitely thrown out the window. We have the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, a representative for victims of crimes and some psychologist or psychiatrist. At one time there was a corrections specialist on the board, but I've heard there isn't anymore. Not that it makes a big difference. the entire board is those who already hate us. Oh now that's fair! And the fairness doesn't stop there either. It's already clear that the power swings against us big time. They have the time, power and money. We, have pretty much nothing. Oh sure, there are those few who really do wish to help us fight this up-hill battle. And my hat's off to them. But they haven't the time nor the money to put into it what the system does. And it can take years to even hear the answer. "No!!" But if you think the fun stops there, you're wrong. You see, they don't even hav to tell you why they said "No!" So you never know what it is that's expected of you. Talk about being fair. What it all boils down to is, when is enough of this shit enough? I realize that society's lust for revenge is greater than it's desire to forgive. And yet I am taught that I should always forgive others. After almost twenty years in here, I grow so tired of being one of those who is used as a scapegoat, just because society has grown in its lutfor allthe violence that's outthere, that doesn't mean it's my fault. I do not look on what I did with any pride, but there has to come a time when revenge must stop. In my opinion, doing a life sentence in this state is no more different than being sentenced to death. This system we have in place here in Pennsylvania is nothing more than a sham! It lies and cheats its way in power and will continue to do so at the expense of society's fears. Maybe there are those who feel it doesn't matter what I think or feel. And to them, that's your right. I don't hate people for such reactions. But what happens one day if you yourself, orsomeone close to you, ends up in a place like this doing the same time. Who do you think is going to listen to you???? Think about that a while.