Death Row and My Family

Being on death row has affected my family in many ways.

From the time I was thirteen until the day of my arrest my mom, sisters and I did not get along. Although that was mostly my fault, I felt they were interfering with my life too much, so I moved away from them and started pretending I was an only child whose mother had died giving birth to me. I was more interested in drinking, doing drugs, chasing women, and running the streets than creating a strong family foundation to begin a life upon.

When I got arrested, not one of the people I was running the streets with sent me a letter or come to visit me. But you know who did? That’s right, my mother and sisters. The first night of my arrest I got a letter and a money order from my mother. As mean as I had been to her for the past three years, momma was the first one at my side when I needed help. She was even asking to come visit me the next visitation day. I had treated her so badly, I was very careful about talking to my mother because I thought she might be working for the district attorney’s office.

Over time my mom and I worked things out and I started to trust her. I put her on my visitor list and my mom and sister started coming to visit me every Saturday. For two years my mom and sisters never missed a visitation unless I was on restrictions and could not receive visitors.

About a year after my arrest my sixteen year old sister had a baby boy. Today I love that little boy with all of my heart. It is pure torture to have to watch justice grow up from behind bars. My mom was working for the city when my trial started. There was so much publicity about my trial on TV, on the radio, and in the newspapers that my mom had to quit her job to get away from all the people asking her questions and talking about our family behind her back.

Both my family and I were terrified of me being sent to death row. We had heard some awful stories about death row inmates. I have learned since than that the majority of these rumors are false. Coming to death row has caused my family lots of pain and taken away my chance to watch my little sisters and nephew grow up.

Coming to death row has also made my family stronger and brought us closer together. It has made me get my life’s priorities in order. My family is the most important thing to me now. I do not know what life has in store for me, my mom and sisters, but after coping with death row, whatever it is will not be a problem.

Mark Duke Z-655
Holman 3700, 3-D-ll
Atmore, AL 36503
USA

Something to think about

Words from death row......

For a full list of articles written by Juveniles on Alabama's Death Row, go to the complete list of titles at Stories.