Hello,
we are all currently on Death Row in Muncy. I’m writing this, reaching out hoping that people will take the time to read this. And hopefully find it in their hearts to want to help in any way possible.
Coming to Death Row, no one knows what to expect, let alone be able to accept and deal with every day life on Death Row! There are truly no good days here. We have learned to make the best of each day as best as we can, and to deal with things in the best possible way. Being sentenced to death alone has its own effect on one, then were to deal with the surroundings we are made to live in. I know, you are probably wondering, even thinking what can one want or even expect being on death row? I feel a lot more than what we were getting! We all have been sentenced and punished but feel we still are day after day!
In 2002-2003 we moved to this new Building (Housing Unit). It was built for the Capital inmates and RHU inmates. It was our understanding that the Capital inmates were going to have their own unit, separated from the others, but we were housed with the SMU (Special Management Unit) inmates. We were housed on the upper floor, and they were housed on the lower floor. It wasn’t the best but to be honest, we would all like to go back over there!
Around August 15th we were moved to another unit down the hall from where our unit was. I don’t even know how to describe the conditions that we’re living in, and what we go thru on every day basis. Inmates yelling, screaming, banging on the windows, beating off the doors, sometimes starting at 6:30 in the morning, going for hours and hours at a time. Inmates arguing with one another, threatening each other, inmates cussing and threatening the officers, talking about sexual gestures to one another. This goes on and on for hours at a time, mostly until 2:30 – 3:00 in the morning! To get any kind of peace of mind, the officers will turn the fan on to block them out. Now, it helps but what about when winter gets here? It will be too cold to turn a fan on for 8-10 hours. We have voiced our concerns to the LT. and she has told us were complaining now about being housed with them, but if they receive a misconduct then they’ll be here even longer with us.
So, in other words it’s okay for them to say and do whatever they want to? We have been sentenced already! We don’t deserve to be subjected to this day in and day out! The whole reason we were moved over here was to be segregated from general population, but yet we’re being housed not only with them but also with the YAO (Youth Offenders). We can’t be on campus with any of them, be out of our cell when any of them are but yet we can be housed with them, rec’d right next to them? Help us understand this!?!
Since moving over here we feel as if we’ve been forgotten about, literally forgotten about! The officer is hardly ever on the unit with us, because of this we miss phone calls, are not able to do our detail. If we don’t come out and clean our unit, showers, floors, walls, doors, rec. pens etc. then it just doesn’t get done! Imagine getting in a shower after 20 women have showered? We are still human! We may be in prison, but there are some who believe in cleanliness! We’re limited to doing only so much. If it doesn’t take place on our unit we cannot participate. We are not allowed to attend any kind of church activities, so we are approved of having a bible study once a month, and we are able to receive communion 3 times a week at our door though our wicket. Please take a moment and try to imagine receiving communion while inmates are cussing at each other, or talking about having sexual encounters with one another! How much do we have to take? Haven’t we been punished enough? When will enough be enough? What some need to remember is that we too are still human just as the next!
Please, we’re asking, even begging for all the help one is willing to give! Anything to help make things more bearable! Thank you for taking the time to read this!
God bless!!!
Sincerely,
Michelle Tharp
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