Voices from the Inside

This page is for the words we recieve from our allies and comrades inside Pennsylvania's prisons. Many of these statements were given to us to be read at protests and rallys, including the February 20th Occupy for Prisoners rally and the November 19th Tribunal to put the PA Prison System on trial.

If you or someone you love is currently incarcerated and wants to submit something for our Voices from the Inside section, write to us at:

Decarcerate PA
PO Box 40764
Philadelphia, PA 19107

POEM: The Power of Protest Mass incarceration is certainly the new “Jim Crow” There are many better ways to spend our dough… Our youth deserve better, should be given the tools, ... READ MORE	A statement for the March to Harrisburg First of all, I want to commend everyone in attendance for their commitment, passion and humanity. The new prisons being built represent so much more than prison expansion and all of you... READ MORE
Why we cannot afford to build any more prisons By Fred (SCI Graterford) Building new prisons is just an external symptom of the cancer that is eating away at our society’s core. At the root of the issue is the ever-... READ MORE	HUMAN RIGHTS/PRISONER RIGHTS By David Lee Today’s human rights issues must encompass a broad range of issues. These issues must include decent employment in which workers have a relevant voice, decent and safe housing... READ MORE
Let this be the year From Eduardo at SCI Graterford: My words, my soul, I share... READ MORE	When Vengeance Trumps Justice by Robert Saleem Holbrook On October 30, 2013 in the case of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. lan Cunningham, in one stroke the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's right wing... READ MORE
Statement by Robert Saleem Holbrook in response to the PA Supreme Court Denial of Retroactive Relief of Miller v. Alabama The Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision today denying relief to juveniles sentenced to LWOP prior to the United States Supreme Court’s June 2012 decision in... READ MORE	PUBLIC STATEMENT – JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: LIFERS, INC. Pennsylvania’s prison population is bursting at the seams; while other states are closing their prisons and saving money, Governor Corbett wants to build more prisons burdening taxpayers who are... READ MORE
PUBLIC STATEMENT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE: LIFERS, INC. Building two prisons on the grounds of Graterford while a new, unused prison in Centre County already exists is an example of poor accounting procedures, akin to locking the barn after the horse... READ MORE	STATEMENT IN OPPOSITION TO PENNSYLVANIA’S PRISON EXPANSION KERRY SHAKABOONA MARSHALL, Human Rights and Social Activist Greetings Everyone! My name is Shakaboona. I am a wrongly convicted prisoner with a juvenile life sentence, who has been... READ MORE
PUBLIC STATEMENT – PCRA INITIATIVE: LIFERS, INC. “Doubling Down” Politicians tend to be a cowardly lot. They avoid doing anything difficult even if what needs doing makes perfect sense. They were... READ MORE	A Prisoner’s Statement against the Expansion of PA’s Prison System My name is James Hough and I’ve been imprisoned for almost two decades for a crime I committed as a juvenile. While I’ve been here I’ve watched the prison population grow larger, younger, and... READ MORE
Paul Perry: Deconstructing the Politics of Prison ,	Mumia Abu Jamal: Souls on Ice When I heard of the call, just raised In Oakland, California, to "Occupy the Prisons", I gasped. It was not an especially radical call, but it was right on time. For prisons have... READ MORE
Larry Stephenson: Increase Spending for Education, Not Prisons The following article was submitted to us by Larry Stephenson, who is incarcerated at SCI Graterford, so that we could read it at the February 20th Occupy for Prisoners... READ MORE	Commer Glass: Statement written for Occupy for Prisoners The following statement is from Commer Glass on behalf of the Veterans of Graterford/VVA Chapter 466. This statement was read by Decarcerate PA at the February 20th Occupy for Prisoners... READ MORE
Thomas Gordon: Thunder I have been housed in the Secure Housing Unit at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center for over five agonizing years. During these five years, I have spent the majority of my time suffering through... READ MORE	James White Eagle Robinson: Statement written for Occupy for Prisoners The following statement is from James White Eagle Robinson on behalf of the SCIG Native American Community at SCI Graterford. This statement was read aloud at the... READ MORE
John at SCI Graterford: Statement written for Occupy for Prisoners The following statement is from John, who is serving a juvenile life without parole sentence at SCI Graterford. This statement was read aloud at the February 20th Occupy for Prisoners... READ MORE	Robert Saleem Holbrook : IF YOU BUILD IT, WE WILL COME Robert Saleem Holbrook is a politicized prisoner at SCI Coal Township serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole that he received as a juvenile. He is an active... READ MORE