The History of America's Incarceration of Women

Terri Harper on Waiting for Freedom

After the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled mandatory life-without-parole sentences for second degree murder convictions unconstitutional in March, the court gave Pennsylvania lawmakers 120 days to create new sentencing guidelines. For those serving life for second degree murder, the days leading up to the deadline have been filled with hope and tension. Legislators have proposed several alternative sets of sentencing guidelines, including Senate Bill 1400, which would allow those serving life without parole for second degree murder to apply for parole after serving 35 years of their sentence or after reaching the age of 70 and serving 20 years of their sentence. That bill is now being debated in the state house.   Cherri Gregg spoke with Terri Harper, a lifer at State Correctional Institution Muncy who was featured on "Dying on the Inside: Women Lifers at Muncy Prison," about the mood within the prison after the Court's ruling, what the women at SCI Muncy think about SB 1400. Terri was convicted of second degree murder and has served  35 years behind bars. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The History of America's Incarceration of Women

The United States penitentiary system was born in Philadelphia at Eastern State Penitentiary in 1829 and has since grown to become the largest in the world. More than 900 women were incarcerated at Eastern State over a nearly 100-year period. A panel of prison experts and advocates gathered at the penitentiary, which closed in 1970 and later reopened as a historic site, on May 20, 2026 to discuss the history of women’s incarceration and the impact of the criminal justice system on them today.  Kerry Sautner, the president and chief executive officer of Eastern State, said despite the prison’s early focus on reform and rehabilitation for male prisoners, that concept did not apply to women, who were compelled to do domestic labor. Keisha Hudson, the Chief Defender at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, said the makeup of women who have entered the criminal justice system has remained similar over time, with many experiencing childhood physical or sexual abuse prior to incarceration. Hudson added that there is little emphasis today on reform and rehabilitation for girls and women. Sameerah Shabazz, a political strategist who experienced incarceration as a teenager, said women are judged more harshly for being impacted by the criminal justice system than men. Tonie Willis, the founder and executive director of Ardella’s House, a service and advocacy organization for women and girls with criminal justice histories, said progress on legislation to reform the criminal justice system is slow because politicians do not want to pass too much at once. Dying on the Inside: Women Lifers at Muncy Prison is a production of Create. Genius. Media and Temple University's Logan Center for Urban Investigative Reporting. [https://templelogancenter.org/] Follow us on social media for info about events, issues around mass incarceration and history @dyingontheinsidepodcast ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Women Impacted

What does it look like to be a woman navigating living behind bars? And what happens when those women rejoin society on the outside? The “Dying On The Inside: Women Lifers at Muncy Prison” team convened a panel to discuss the intersection of incarceration, aging, and health with women directly impacted by the justice system at Temple University’s Randall Theater in Philadelphia on May 13, 2026. The panel, moderated by podcast host Cherri Gregg, featured BL Shirelle, co-Executive Director of FREER Records, the first non-profit record label for currently and formerly incarcerated artists, Sarah Laurel, Executive Director of Savage Sisters, and Marie “Mechie” Scott, a former lifer at State Correctional Institution Muncy who served over 50 years before having her sentence commuted earlier this year.  Dying on the Inside: Women Lifers at Muncy Prison is a production of Create. Genius. Media and Temple University's Logan Center for Urban Investigative Reporting. [https://templelogancenter.org/] Follow us on social media for info about events, issues around mass incarceration and history @dyingontheinsidepodcast ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Launch Event at WHYY

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in March that mandatory life without parole sentences for second degree murder are unconstitutional. The decision not only impacts those with future sentences but the more than one thousand people serving life sentences for second degree murder across Pennsylvania, many of whom have already spent decades behind bars. The “Dying On The Inside: Women Lifers at Muncy Prison” team convened a panel to discuss the ruling and the themes of the podcast at WHYY’s studios in Philadelphia on April 22, 2026. The panel, moderated by podcast host Cherri Gregg, featured Dannielle Hadley, a former lifer at State Correctional Institution Muncy whose sentence was commuted last year; Rupalee Rashatwar, a staff attorney with the Abolitionist Law Center; Noah Barth, the Prison Monitoring Director for the Pennsylvania Prison Society; and State Representative Andre Carroll, who represents the 201st District in Philadelphia. Dying on the Inside: Women Lifers at Muncy Prison is a production of Create. Genius. Media and Temple University's Logan Center for Urban Investigative Reporting. [https://templelogancenter.org/] Follow us on social media for info about events, issues around mass incarceration and history @dyingontheinsidepodcast ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Hope

Maria Rodriguez has spent close to 50 years at State Correctional Institution Muncy after being convicted of second-degree murder. Living in the prison’s infirmary, her body is breaking down with a host of ailments, including diabetes, arthritis and a broken back. Cases like Rodriguez’s are leading some officials to rethink how the criminal justice system handles aging prisoners. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in March that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for second degree murder are unconstitutional, but the court said it’s up to the state legislature to figure out how the ruling will apply retroactively. For other prisoners, their pathways to get out remain limited, as the commutation process is slowed by a large backlog of applications. A bill to expand eligibility for compassionate release passed the state house but has not passed the state senate. While legislative action on mass incarceration stalls, many lifers are getting sick as they wait and age in prison. Dying on the Inside: Women Lifers at Muncy Prison is a production of Create. Genius. Media and Temple University's Logan Center for Urban Investigative Reporting. [https://templelogancenter.org/] Follow us on social media for info about events, issues around mass incarceration and history @dyingontheinsidepodcast ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.