Author Archives: Eric Okdeh

God tells us that He will put us through no more than we can bear!! Well with that being said, I must be a very very strong woman! And thats only by the Grace of God! My son was wrongfully convicted of a crime and was sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison. My son has no prior record. Always worked, or went to school. He is not and has never been a violent person. He was actually getting ready to go back to college. You see he was accepted into Penn State University when he graduated from high school, but decided to stay home so he could watch over and be there for me. I have been sick for a number of years. I’ve had a number of surgeries, which included brain surgery for an aneurysm. And I’ve been in the hospital more than I would care to mention. So instead of leaving me,he went to Philadelphia Community College instead of Penn State. My youngest daughter was away at college, and my oldest daughter was serving in the military, and was stationed out of town. He was about to go back to Commmunity College when this happened. Andy(my son) is the sweetest person you would ever want to meet.He never hurt a sole! He was very naive and gullible. And would help anyone! He was not a candidate for sainthood! But he has the biggest, and kindest heart! He is the one serving the time in prison, but he always seems to encourage me and his family with his words, in his letters and in the cards that he sends us! But by the time the criminal justice system got through with him he was labeled as a murderer!! This whole event has made us all lose our trust in people, the police, and the criminal justice system! I’m not gonna go into his case, but there was a lot of crazy things that occurred before, during and after his trial was over. His case is now in the appeals stage. I love my son very very much, and I pray that the appeals board can see through all of the lies and deceit that was put on my son, just so they could get a conviction!! No matter what, we are still going to fight for him to get out of this prison system that he does … Continue reading →

Life brings the most amazing battles that make you stronger if your wise enough to learn from every experience. I learned the lesson of having a family member in prison starting at a young age. My father was in gratorford for thirteen years. My mother divorce him shortly before that so for the years he was there I never got to see my father. Growing up that affected me in the most great ways good and bad. A female needs to strength and teachings of her father just as much as her mother. Who would think that experience would carry me to my adult life. When I met Salon Smith from first sight I knew I wanted to be apart of his life. Five years later I was granted my wish. We became best friends and it carried on into a marriage. I never forget the day those detectives came to get him. I couldn’t sleep. I held our children all night not knowing what to do. I just remembered my childhood and promised them on that day that I would never allow them the pain of not having their father at all. What a battle was I in for. County visits taught me the basics of visits. Gratorford turned me into a vican. Up at 5am, dressed me and he kids and off to take two trains and a bus to Gratorford every Saturday for years and years. The rides up were exciting. Daydreaming of the face of the man I loved for years. Thinking of seeing the kids run into his arms and how he would hug me and smile. We are at the prison. The kids run off the bus and into the waiting area. The male guards are looking you up and down like a piece of meat and the female guards are rolling there eyes at you. We wait an hour sometimes two hearing all the names being called. My children asking when is it our turn. ” I wanna see Daddy mommy” my son cries over and over again until they call his name. We all rush to the search room. A guard says ” those jeans have to many zippers and buttons, they have no pockets and look like tights, your tee shirt isn’t long enough, cut the wire out of your bra here are some scissors”, to my children ” your daughters … Continue reading →

Ive spent 14 years of my life in graterford prison. each day i spent in there seem like the last day of my life. I committed my crime when i was seventeen years old. I never had anyone there to guide me thru the way. I was a product of the thing that sorrounded me. wich was negativity. I always say I wish I could have had some one to show me right from wrong. but it did not work out that way.I was trapped into a system that did not have any love for me. I left children behind to fin for themselvess. I had to watch my wife come back and forth to graterford with my kids being humiliated by the guards. The system will try to break your family so that in the end they will give up on you. god willing I had a wife that could not be broke. but I witness a lot of people’s families give up on them because they could not deal with the pressure that the prison put them thru. It got so bad that my own children could not sit on my lap anymore. I would cry inside,but I could not let my family see this because at the end of the day I had to be strong for them. it was bad enough that I left them, it would have been even worse if they seen me cry. So many personal things happen to my family while I was incarcerated. things that needed my undivided attention but I could not be there to support my family. it kind of made me bitter at first, but I knew I had to make a change if not for me then for my kids. I could not let them repeat the same things I been thru. So I decided to make change starting with myself. I built myself from the ground up. I decided to reprogram myself from the old me and make a change in someone else life. I told myself my mistake will not be some one else mistakes if I could help it. I followed my heart wich was art. and thru this art I found out i can make a change and help some one. I can share my many stories to the younger people that mural are has adopted thru there program the guild, which I … Continue reading →

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