Matthew’s story has not been edited.

“My Transcendancy”

In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful.

August 20, 2024

I ripped and ran when I was a man child at the age of fifteen years old in a world where rules concerning responsibility, pride, morals, and values, were non conforming to the norms of society. The rules of the society I resided in centered on money, drugs, guns, cars, women, clothes, and reputation.

The consequences of living in that world were addictions, prison or death. Truly the old saying: “Only the strong survives,” was a fallacy because all the hustlers in my neighborhood had an ending that was very cruel. As a direct result from my poor judgement, I also ended up with a similar fate.

I committed a senseless homicide when I turned eighteen years old age; I was still a teenager in a grown man’s body with an underdeveloped maturity. What I thought I knew then (i.e. rules of survival of adulthood) were only a tiny fraction of what I have learned throughout my over thirty-two years of incarceration.

By the blessings and guidance of Allah, the people in my prison community (i.e. Graterford, Phoenix) helped me change my life for the better. At one point in my life, I could not see my future beyond my extended hand. 

Today however, my understanding of who I am derives from the teachings of Orthodox Islam (i.e. Salafee), the vocations, trades, education I acquired through prison programs and Villanova University Bachelor’s Program.

Many of Villanova’s professors that I hold dear to my heart took the time in their schedules to cultivate more principles and values inside me that I lacked at the age of fifteen. It saddens me greatly to learn presently that what I have learned in the Department of Corrections I could have learned at the age of fifteen, that is, had I had a proper home structure which I did not at all. 

It’s been said, “It takes a village to raise a child,” not only did I not experience such a wise cliche but a lot of other youths of today suffer from the same consequences. As a nation, we must heed that there are repercussions for this sort of societal negligence. 

Proof of that can be seen by where many inner city youths are headed today which are to early graves or school to prison pipelines. And that’s not a myth nor an assumption because I see it here in my prison surroundance constantly, sad to say. 

Currently, I am very fortunate to have matured to the point where I have recognized and owned the wrongs I have done to the victims of my case and my community for which I harbor much remorse. I have made personal vows to my Creator and myself to always seek redemption for the crimes I have done (for as long as I live). In addition, to never repeat the poor choices I made and took the innocent life of an person for which I feel much sorrow even today. The same can be said for all of the individuals my actions traumatized as well. I must admit that I can’t out run the ruin I’ve created, nor change the past but what I can do is try earnestly to foster a future to atone for my past transgressions. 

It’ll always be my aim to keep striving to become a much better individual than I was when I committed my heinous crimes that led to my death by incarceration sentence. As a geriatric prisoner now, I have come to realise that the most beautiful thing about being a human being, does not rest in trying to figure out how to undo things we did in the past, it rests with the passionate endurance of the heart which is the strong desire for positive transformation that’ll never change. 

For many of us inner city inhabitants, we often face deadends in our lives where it seems like we are forced to make unwise choices because of lack of common sense, life experience, or mental development but as we age into majority, we discover our better sleeves and how not to ever repeat the poor choices which led to our life imprisonment without parole. 

In Pennsylvania, having to serve Death by Incarceration, it does not matter how hard you work for atonement and forgiveness, because it will always go unnoticed. However, if Bill HB 2296* gets passed, what went unnoticed will become noticed. If I happen to be blessed and re-enter society, I would be able to help youth at risk (i.e. 28 year olds to 25 year olds that had issues like I did and felt utterly lost).

Plus, Pennsylvania will show its evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society. To all my readers and listeners, thank you for your time and patience.

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*Editor’s note: This bill is now HB 443 in the 2025-2026 Pennsylvania Legislative Session.