For more than 20 years my identity was bonded with those people on death row, I cared about them.
I didn't mind the 23 hours a day solitary confinement for the majority of the time, because after the first few years in prison, when I stopped being angry and started to like myself and understand myself, it was OK. I still enjoy my own company sometimes.
They put me in solitary confinement, and although I went on to do 8,755 days of solitary in total, the first two were the hardest. I almost went mad, beating my head against the wall.
I was 20 when I was sentenced to death. My life had been on a one-way path to self-destruction for years. I donβt remember too much about my early life, but I think I had a happy childhood, growing up in Philadelphia in a loving family with five siblings.
The whole purpose of my education ultimately was so I could deliver a statement eloquently before my execution.
I believe life imprisonment is far worse than the death penalty.
Here's the crazy thing: if I was guilty I would be entitled to job training, housing, medical treatment. But I have nothing. I was released with five dollars and 37 cents of my own money.
I lived around the man who was the model for Buffalo Bill in the movie 'Silence of the Lambs.'
So the chances of you being sentenced to Death Row in America is roughly the same as you winning the lottery.
Death row saved my life. It taught me everything is a luxury to be treasured.
There is a man out there who prosecuted me. He's been constantly calling different lawyers, telling them how afraid of me his is. He's afraid I'll come after him now that I'm out, because of all the horrible things he did to me. The furthest thing from my mind I would ever do is waste a day being vindictive.
