Hello to everyone in Australia. My name is Tricia. I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I am serving a life sentence, and, for those of you who don’t know, a life sentence in Pennsylvania means your entire life. Sad to say the only way they want you to leave the prison is in a body bag, but I believe that will change for all of us one day and we will be set free.

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I’ve been incarcerated for 26 years now, which means I’ve been in prison longer than I was free. I am 51 years of age and became incarcerated at age 25. I have one child, a son, who was a little over a year old when I came to prison. He is a young man now who has his own son, my first grandchild.

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I lost so much time with the people I love the most due to my incarceration and also gained the insight to cherish the moments I have with them, i.e.: visits, phone calls, emails – all the things we take for granted with freedom.

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A day for me begins at 6:15 am. I do my usual morning routine, then I go to exercise – about three to four times a week – and then I have the usual shower and phone call, depending on the day. We get counted again at about 11:15 am, and then I go to work. My job is at the property department. This is the place where the ladies at Muncy pick up the items they ordered from the commissary, i.e: TV, radio, sneakers etc.

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Then we usually get counted a third time, at 4:30 pm. “Wow,” I know you’re probably saying, “that’s a lot of counts.” Tell me about it. We still have one more to come. At night I usually wash clothes and chill in my room and watch some TV. I’m a BIG sports fan, usually watching basketball or tennis. Yes, I love the Australian Open. I also watch American Football every Sunday after church service.

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One of the best things I do about twice a week is what we call sacred dance practice. Myself and two other ladies dance at our church service, so we practice at night at our chapel. Sharing time in fellowship with my sisters in Christ is one of my most precious times. This fellowship helps to get through the hard times.

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Having long-term friends here means a lot. Sad to say I’ve spent more of my life with these women than my family at home.

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The holiday seasons are pretty bad for most of us, being away from our families. In the ward I live in, we decorate our rooms, our doors and the common area. We have a secret santa, pollyanna and a little Christmas party.

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I’ve met a lot of wonderful women during my incarceration. Some leave and forget, but the special ones that stay in touch mean a lot. I’ve been blessed to have people I’ve met in groups and classes, and even retired employees keep in touch. They not only help me but tell me how I have helped them and changed their outlook on life, and that means a lot to me.

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For me, the hardest part of incarceration and having a life sentence is losing family members and not getting that time with them or that chance to say goodbye. My dad passed away – it will be 2 years in January, and sometimes it still doesn’t feel real.

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There’s no closure. Thank God I still have my mother in my life. She is 81 years young. I try to call her every day. Just to hear her voice makes my day. We take things like that for granted – I always thought I’d have tomorrow to talk to my dad.

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My one message to everyone reading is do not take a moment of life for granted, whether free or locked up.

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Treasure the moments, whether big or small, with the ones you love because tomorrow is not promised.

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Sending my love and prayers to you. Spend quality time with the people closest to you and give some Christmas joy to someone who may not have anyone on the outside. This time of year we need to spread joy, peace, love and happiness to all. Happy New Year and to many, many more.

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Love Tricia.