To my fellow sojourners in "The Land Down Under" from SCI Muncy, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Cheers, mates!
My name is Jean. I am a wiry spitfire, 65 years young, and incarcerated for the past 24 years with a L.W.O.P. (Life Without Parole) sentence.
I was born and grew up in Bucks County, PA, in the suburbs just outside of Philadelphia, PA (the "City of Brotherly Love"). Life as a child in the '50s and '60s was idyllic. I had an older sister, a twin, and a younger brother. We used our imaginations and ingenuity to keep ourselves entertained.
My “dad” (step-father), sister, and two close friends “on the outside” are my remaining anchors. Without their continued support, the foundation laid in my youth, and the love and support with which my late, beloved husband blessed me, I would not have been able to survive this "life".
My husband was the ultimate gentleman and my greatest supporter. He encouraged my wish to return to school to become an L.P.N. (Licensed Practical Nurse) and my work in nursing homes. Then he was gone, I was charged with his death, and I was now here at SCI Muncy.
I know Australia has a colorful and storied history when it comes to its penal system. I know that as a colony of the United Kingdom, Australia was used as a repository for England's overflow of “criminals”. Many of those “criminals” survived and went on to explore and settle and thrive in Australia's
vast landscapes.
When I arrived at Muncy in 2005 there were extremely limited opportunities for anyone with a “life” sentence. As has been demonstrated over and over again in Pennsylvania, a “life” sentence means exactly that: one stays “within the fence” until they die.
There is nothing a “lifer” can do in Pennsylvania to “get out of jail” unless in a coroner's vehicle. Yes, there is the illusion of clemency but only an illusion. The same for compassionate release for the terminally ill.
My day-to-day life consists of keeping “my area” clean. I have a lot of allergies and some medical issues not unfamiliar to senior citizens. I live in an “open” unit which has rooms without doors or full walls. I recently moved from an 8-bed room to a 4-bed room. Fortunately one of my “roomies” is a long time friend who is also a “lifer”. I work as a cleaning detail in the maintenance shop where I sweep the floors, clean the restrooms and utility cage, and any other jobs that need to be done.
I spend as much time as I am allowed in the Law Library reviewing legal cases for others and doing my own legal work. I relax by doing cross stitch work. I will never stop working to overturn my conviction and leave this little piece of hell-on-earth.
I thank you all for the opportunity to allow you to see what my life, and LIFE, is like within the Pennsylvania DOC.
Cheers!
Respectfully,
Jean
To my fellow sojourners in "The Land Down Under" from SCI Muncy, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Cheers, mates!
My name is Jean. I am a wiry spitfire, 65 years young, and incarcerated for the past 24 years with a L.W.O.P. (Life Without Parole) sentence.
I was born and grew up in Bucks County, PA, in the suburbs just outside of Philadelphia, PA (the "City of Brotherly Love"). Life as a child in the '50s and '60s was idyllic. I had an older sister, a twin, and a younger brother. We used our imaginations and ingenuity to keep ourselves entertained.
My “dad” (step-father), sister, and two close friends “on the outside” are my remaining anchors. Without their continued support, the foundation laid in my youth, and the love and support with which my late, beloved husband blessed me, I would not have been able to survive this "life".
My husband was the ultimate gentleman and my greatest supporter. He encouraged my wish to return to school to become an L.P.N. (Licensed Practical Nurse) and my work in nursing homes. Then he was gone, I was charged with his death, and I was now here at SCI Muncy.
I know Australia has a colorful and storied history when it comes to its penal system. I know that as a colony of the United Kingdom, Australia was used as a repository for England's overflow of “criminals”. Many of those “criminals” survived and went on to explore and settle and thrive in Australia's
vast landscapes.
When I arrived at Muncy in 2005 there were extremely limited opportunities for anyone with a “life” sentence. As has been demonstrated over and over again in Pennsylvania, a “life” sentence means exactly that: one stays “within the fence” until they die.
There is nothing a “lifer” can do in Pennsylvania to “get out of jail” unless in a coroner's vehicle. Yes, there is the illusion of clemency but only an illusion. The same for compassionate release for the terminally ill.
My day-to-day life consists of keeping “my area” clean. I have a lot of allergies and some medical issues not unfamiliar to senior citizens. I live in an “open” unit which has rooms without doors or full walls. I recently moved from an 8-bed room to a 4-bed room. Fortunately one of my “roomies” is a long time friend who is also a “lifer”. I work as a cleaning detail in the maintenance shop where I sweep the floors, clean the restrooms and utility cage, and any other jobs that need to be done.
I spend as much time as I am allowed in the Law Library reviewing legal cases for others and doing my own legal work. I relax by doing cross stitch work. I will never stop working to overturn my conviction and leave this little piece of hell-on-earth.
I thank you all for the opportunity to allow you to see what my life, and LIFE, is like within the Pennsylvania DOC.
Cheers!
Respectfully,
Jean
