Having Hope

SHOCKLEY, JEFFERY A. ES4796, SCI-MERCER

1. Habilitate: 3 Obsolete To impart an ability or capacity to. To qualify oneself for a post or office. Rehabilitate: 1. To restore to good health or useful life, as through therapy and education. 2 To restore to good condition, operation or capacity. The Definitions come from the American Heritage Dictionary 4th Ed.. My intent in providing these words is to highlight the essence of the penal system, rather the former idea of the institution of corrections. Additionally to question if such ideology remains. An individual gets sentenced by the criminal court to serve time in one of Pennsylvania's State Correctional Institutions to be rehabilitated, corrected. The institution provides case specific programs and education opportunities for the end goal of returning one to their community a better, more capable citizen. To impart an ability or capacity for change. A person serving a life sentence has a longer road to journey on. Life in Pennsylvania means natural life, where other States mark life in years. To restore to good health or useful life, as through therapy and education. There is a hope that as one does all that is required of them to do, there is an avenue by which they may be able to return to the free world. When ones court appeals have been exhausted an individual can submit an application to the Board of Pardons and seek Commutation. Commutation is a second chance for the many who have served at least 25 years of the sentence given and must be program compliant. Many of the men and women considered over the past five years have served closer to 50 years are being denied. Recorded history shows that commutation was much different for the men and women with life without parole sentences in the 1960's and 1970's, where after about 20 years people had earned their second chance at life to be productive members of society. It is my prayer this transfer helps show my worthiness of a second chance. Having hope.