Robert J. Swartworth has been incarcerated at SCI Huntington since 1979. His accomplice shot and killed a local business owner, and Robert was then sentenced to serve life without parole, despite not actually killing anyone in his life. He has served 38 years of this sentence already, and is destined to serve a life sentence without the action of the board of pardons.
Swartworth’s requests for parole have been continually denied despite his exemplary prison record, wonderful community involvement while in the prison, and support from the department of corrections who has deemed him low risk.
This year, he was denied commutation by the PA Board of Pardons by a 3-2 vote despite his reform. This reform is clear to everyone who surrounds him, but the board of pardons is incredibly difficult to navigate for many, with a unanimous vote required. This process must be reformed, and Mr. Swartworth is just one of many who would benefit from the passage of SB942.