Larry N Stromberg

Mr. Box

D e a t h by I n c a r c e r a t i o n is a barbaric form of punishment in the

CommonWealth of Pennsylvania f o r t h o s e who h a v e s i n c e r e remorse
in their hearts a n d h a v e t a kLarry
e n cNo Stromberg
mplete responsibility and full
accountability for their crimes and actions against society.
society.
M r . Box i s a p e r f e c t example of this travesty. Redemption ends
u p b e i n g c a r r i e d o u t dead i n a body b a g . I d o n ' t know i f t h i s can
up
e vveerr h eeaall t h ee v iiccttiim
m' s' s agony
a and
gony a n d p aaiinn.. I g uueessss, , a nn o ffffeennddeer r must
must
accept this reality.

I t was when C
COVID
OVID was r a g i n g a l l across the world in our nation
and wreaking havoc in the prison system in the United States of
A m e r i c a . My name i s L a r r y S t r o m b e r g a nd I ' m s e r v i n g a l i f e
and
s e n t e n c e i n t h e CommonWealth o f P e n n s y l v a n i a . A l i f e sentence in
Pennsylvania is really a death sentence if one doesn't get relief
in the Courts, granted clemency, or released by Compassionate
Release due to a terminal illness. A prisoner with a death - by -
incarceration prison sentence leaves the penitentiary in a body
bag
b a g l i ffeelleessss o rr d iieess i n aa h oossppi ittaal l w iitthh h aannddccuuf f sf s o nn.. T hhaatt' 'ss aa
cold reality.

I'mm a C eerrttiiffi ieedd P eeeerr S uuppppoorrt t S ppeecci iaal il si st t (CPS)

( C P S ) h eellppiinngg t h oossee w i tthh
mental health issues at SCI Phoenix, a multiple Million dollar
n ew i n s t i t u t i o n
new in Pennsylvania. I'm also a volunteer hospice
worker, assigned to spend four hours a day (11:00 - 3:00) with
M rr,. E aarrll B
M Box o x a t e rrmmiinnaal l yl y i111
ill l i f eerr who w a s ho
was medical
o uusseedd ii nn tt hh ee medical
_ i n f i r
__infirmary m a r y and
and was
was convicted
c o n v i c t e d of
o f a 2nd
2nd degree
degree homicide
homicide decades
decades ~~
and decades ago.

E aarrll was d i aaggnnoosseedd w iitthh a s t aaggee f o uurr c o lloonn c a nncceerr. . E aarrll a n d h i ss

b eeaauutti if fuul l miillyy
fam w eerree h ooppiinngg a nndd p rraayyi inngg t h aatt h ee w oouulldd b ee g r aanntteedd
Compassionate Release to spend his last few months, weeks, days
and hours with his family by his side back out in society before
he would pass on.

Earl and I would talk about everything d u r i n g my f o u r - h o u r

hospice shift with him in the infirmary hospice cell in the med-
ical department. We s p o k e i n d e t a i l about poetry, music, sports,
movies, family, past joyful and painful memories, faith, the
Black Lives Matter Movement and the importance of gaining a
better education and taking full accountabilty of our actions
and our horrible regretful choices in this life. Earl was a truly
remorseful man and he believed in forgiveness. He wanted to be
forgiven, Earl forgave those who a b u s e d h i m f o r t h e c o l o r of his
skin growing up in the South during the Civil Rights Movement.

It's amazing how a f r i e n d s h i p c a n b be e birthed. I guess, it's a

m i r a c l e f r o m t h e C r e a t o r a b o v e . E a r l became my f r i e n d . E a r l
l o v e d g r o o v i n g t o a t u n e ., H i s a g o n y a n d p a i n s e e m e d t o f a d e a w a y
a s h e was g r o o v i n g to "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" with Otis
Reading singing in the background on the radio. Earl loved soul
music. It enlightened his spirit. It made him feel alive, even
for just a few minutes as the cancer was eating away at him to
the bone.
 Earl's wonderful family w o u l d come t o v i s i t him in the Medical
Infirmary as the tears of regret, sorrow and guilt flowed from
his weary eyes. His body was frail in his weakened state of being
d eeppeennddi ni ngg o nn m oorrpphhi innee t o e aassee t hhee h oorrrreennddoouus s p aaiinn h ee w aass i n ..

S a d l y , h i s Compassionate Release was denied by h i s j u d g e . ( A l l

t h ee f o lllloowwi inngg a p ppeeaal lss w eerree d e nniieedd s o oonn a f tteerr..)) The
T h e j u ddggee h a d
d no
mercy for Mr. Box. Earl couldn't even be granted Compassionate
Release on his deathbed. Earl's will to live ended and within
days he was gone into the Great Beyond.

M r ., Box

A cool cat gliding with soul,

Immense wisdom in his demeanor,

Loved grooving to a tune,

Cherished every family member, n e v e r f o r g e t t i n g a name,

Incarcerated severely by a condemning system,
Never gave up the fight for redemption,

Freedom always in his sight,

Even with no light on the horizon,

E d u c a t i o n his
andEducation
F aaiit thh and escape,
o n l y escapes
h i s only
Diagnosed terminal with the cankerworm,

Hospice in an infirmary prison cell,

cell,
P r aayyiinngg f o rr a C oom
mppaassssi oi on n
a taet e R eelleeaassee, ,

47 years in, denied on his deathbed,

No m e r c y f o r a lifer with remorse in his heart,
heart,

Death flying M r . B o x away,

He l e f t prison in a body bag,

He f i n a l l y m ade it
made home,
With his ancestors in heaven.

Earl's story is a true picture o f D e a t h -—- b y - I n c a r c e r a t i o n .

For me, I'm honored to have spent precious time with Mr. Earl
Box. Our short time together made me a better man, wiser human
being and a more compassionate p e r s o n ,. I h o p e t o s e e E a r l a g a i n
in the land of perfection. I know he is truly free now from all
the pain, guilt, regret, sorrow and the suffering he endured.
T h e s y s t e m h a d n o m e r c y f o r t h i s m a n ., A t e r r i b l e reality.

I'm just so grateful I had a chance to help this man,

man. I ' m just
so grateful this m manan h e l p e d m e . I ' m f o r e v e r grateful for the
friendship we s h a r e d . I t w i l l forever live i n my h e a r t t i l l I
meet Mr. E Barl Box in the next life.