I am 24 years old growing up on death row in the state of Alabama and I know that I stand a small chance of making it back on the streets. And I know that I may ultimately die at the hands of the state. And knowing all of this makes me feel as if I have this rare cancer and there is someone out there that has the cure, but no matter how much I plead and beg for their help and mercy, they turn me down. I've been living like this since I was 17 years old.

For six and a half years this cancer has been eating away at me and will do so until it either kills me or they give me the cure.

Before I was arrested and forced to live this nightmare I never could have seen me growing into a man dying on death row. Growing up in a place such as this and under our conditions is the absolute worse thing you could do to a person, because you strip him of all the things society teaches him while growing into a man. Prison teaches him that society doesn't care about him, that he's worthless.

On deathrow he grows up numb and not wanting to care. As a juvenile offender this is the way I am growing up and instead of society giving me (and others like me) a chance at rehabilitation, this is the way I am dying; numb and uncaring about things that a man my age should care about were he on the streets.

I have grown to respect life in hare. I've seen just how easy it is to lose it and I may never get the chance to show how much respect I have for not only my own life, but for others as well.

There are more and more juvenile offenders being put on deathrow in this country and they are growing up and potentially dying like I am. I'm talking about teenage kids growing up without family in their lives on a daily (or normal) basis. Being surrounded by guys 2 or 3 times their age and they will possibly die a lost soul because society gave up on them for one terrible mistake. I can only wish for our country to open its eyes and realize that enough is enough. They don't need to execute any more. Let us grow to be a men and die old men.

Matt Hyde Z-605
cell 5-D-9
Holman, 3700
Atmore, AL36503

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.