00:00:16
what was the hardest thing to adjust to
00:00:18
when you first came into this prison
00:00:20
I've always naively I guess thought that
00:00:25
women were the gentler sex that the
00:00:27
weaker sex that's what society wants us
00:00:29
to believe and the fact that women can
00:00:34
stab a man to death 40 times I find that
00:00:38
incomprehensible
00:00:46
south of Chicago in the state of Indiana
00:00:49
to prisons hold some of America's most
00:00:53
dangerous female criminals the Rockville
00:00:58
Correctional Facility and Indiana
00:01:01
women's prison house over 1,800
00:01:04
offenders many are serving long
00:01:07
sentences for extremely violent crimes
00:01:10
some will end there Daisy how severely
00:01:14
was the victim hurt the bullet came into
00:01:16
close contact with his eye and in the
00:01:19
face yes for four weeks I was given
00:01:23
access to a world and the culture the
00:01:25
like of which I've never known so you
00:01:29
were cast as a baby killer I was that I
00:01:33
am that and a lot more than that as well
00:01:36
but that's who I am
00:01:41
America imprisons more women than
00:01:45
anywhere else in the world
00:01:46
[Music]
00:01:57
this is Indiana women's prison my escort
00:02:01
sergeant McPherson is taking me to meet
00:02:04
the most notorious inmate in the state a
00:02:06
convicted double murder thank you you're
00:02:10
welcome
00:02:11
and Sergeant we are heading now to to
00:02:13
the administrative segregation unit this
00:02:16
unit is where our disciplinary offenders
00:02:19
are this is a what you call like a
00:02:24
punishment forum if we put them here
00:02:28
to give them time to think about what
00:02:30
they've done and to clear up their
00:02:32
negative behavior offenders in this unit
00:02:41
spent more than 20 hours a day locked in
00:02:44
their cells they have no contact with
00:02:46
the rest of the prison population hey
00:02:50
Sarah Sarah Pender has been in this
00:02:58
segregation unit for nearly five years
00:03:04
this is punishment not for the double
00:03:07
murder for which she was convicted but
00:03:10
for an incident in 2008 which made
00:03:12
headline news across the country why do
00:03:17
you think they have given you this long
00:03:20
sentence as it were in segregation unit
00:03:24
because I embarrassed them how did you
00:03:28
embarrass them
00:03:31
well I escaped from what was supposed to
00:03:33
be a maximum-security prison how did you
00:03:35
do that
00:03:36
an officer aided me in what way I
00:03:44
embarrass him
00:03:48
he drove me out they have these
00:03:50
transportation bands that come in to get
00:03:52
fuel they have like their own little gas
00:03:54
station and we planned it so that when
00:03:57
he came in to get fuel then I came out
00:03:59
and got in a van how did you manage to
00:04:01
persuade an officer well I didn't
00:04:03
actually take to take you up I didn't
00:04:05
actually ask him yeah I know
00:04:09
it's uh I was having when I was planning
00:04:12
my escape I plan on doing it by myself
00:04:13
and but I needed money and I didn't want
00:04:16
to ask my family because I would have to
00:04:18
lie to them about what it was for so in
00:04:19
order to make money I worked with this
00:04:21
officer who had trafficking contraband
00:04:24
and then my friends would sell it for
00:04:26
money and then I would get the money to
00:04:27
save up for my escape and so he was
00:04:31
making a lot of money because I was
00:04:33
paying him very well to do this and he
00:04:36
found out that I was playing an escape
00:04:39
and saw an opportunity to make more
00:04:42
money and so he said what if I could
00:04:45
just roll you out of here that would be
00:04:51
worth my while
00:04:51
and and as a side note I also had a
00:04:55
sexual relationship with the officer and
00:04:56
that came out when I when I escaped and
00:05:01
that was very embarrassing to the
00:05:02
department I think I'm beginning to
00:05:04
understand why the authorities have
00:05:06
taken such a strong line on your case
00:05:09
because you mentioned it was an
00:05:12
embarrassment I think it's a huge
00:05:13
embarrassment for them yes I and the
00:05:17
only explanation that they've given my
00:05:19
mother for why I am in here is that I'm
00:05:22
quote too smart for their facility this
00:05:31
is the Rockville Correctional Facility
00:05:32
from which Sarah Pender escaped in 2008
00:05:39
she was on the run for more than four
00:05:42
months and was labeled America's most
00:05:44
wanted woman leading the way back to
00:05:51
Indiana two state troopers in an
00:05:52
unmarked police car bring a convicted
00:05:54
murderer and prison escapee Sarah Jo
00:05:57
Pender back to an Indiana state prison
00:05:59
Pender has been on the run from police
00:06:01
since escaping from the Rockville
00:06:03
Correctional Facility last August she'll
00:06:05
have no contact with the outside she no
00:06:07
phone calls no visits and will minimize
00:06:09
her contact or even with staff
00:06:11
internally the state has been true to
00:06:16
its word and this has been Sarah
00:06:20
Pender's life ever since Scott stickler
00:06:25
the officer who helped her escape was
00:06:27
jailed for seven years
00:06:30
sergeant McPherson has known Sarah
00:06:32
Pender from the day she arrived that
00:06:34
Indiana women's prison
00:06:36
she must have struck up a very deep
00:06:38
relationship having targeted that male
00:06:40
officer he was having problems at home
00:06:42
and she preyed on that she preyed on his
00:06:48
emotions she made him feel that she was
00:06:54
gonna save him that she would be his
00:06:56
everything that she would replace what
00:06:59
he didn't have and he was so vulnerable
00:07:02
he fell for it so he did whatever she
00:07:04
asked he fell in love with her he fell
00:07:08
in love with her yes but of course she
00:07:11
wasn't in love with him she used him to
00:07:12
get what she wanted and that was to get
00:07:15
out of Rockville and you would put that
00:07:17
down to her ability to she is I've seen
00:07:23
a lot I've been here for over 20 years
00:07:25
Sarah is one of the best manipulators
00:07:28
I've seen
00:07:30
[Music]
00:07:40
out in the general population prisoners
00:07:43
must conform to strictly regimented days
00:07:47
three hours for recreation
00:07:50
[Music]
00:08:00
fifteen minute sittings for meals
00:08:03
[Music]
00:08:11
me
00:08:14
apart from this routine inmates are
00:08:17
allowed out of their cells although they
00:08:20
are confined to their assigned units
00:08:23
thank you
00:08:24
this is unit 13 offenders have just
00:08:29
returned from lunch
00:08:38
what are you doing here today I'm just
00:08:41
talking she's doing a little crafting or
00:08:43
writing some cards you're sending cards
00:08:45
up Mother's Day cards it's coming up so
00:08:48
we got to get him out yeah
00:08:50
does your mother come to see you here um
00:08:51
no my mother she lives out of state so
00:08:53
she really doesn't come up here much
00:08:55
she's never come to see you at all and
00:08:59
how long have you been in this prison um
00:09:02
since 2006 yes well it's a long time not
00:09:11
only for you but for anybody strong-arm
00:09:22
robbery trip yeah that's more for like
00:09:24
physical robbery like I didn't have a
00:09:28
gun or anything I was fighting punchy
00:09:31
you know that kind of stuff what were
00:09:32
you robbing Oh people sorry
00:09:35
it was three people what was this in the
00:09:37
street yeah we were driving around we
00:09:39
thought when we seen people walking we
00:09:41
hopped out the car bum-rushed him kind
00:09:43
of beat him up knock him down try to
00:09:46
smash the person so you robbed three
00:09:48
people yeah how much did you take oh it
00:09:50
was only 300 hours from that robbery
00:09:53
so really wasn't nothing a stupid
00:09:55
decision not worth anything especially
00:09:58
all these years of my life when you say
00:10:01
from that robbery you suggest that there
00:10:03
were other instances how old were you
00:10:15
when you started on this may I call it a
00:10:17
career well since I was about 13 school
00:10:22
um I went to school up until like 10th
00:10:25
grade then I started fighting getting
00:10:26
expelled and I just stopped going
00:10:28
I'm actually really smart in school I
00:10:30
always had straight A's but I just
00:10:32
couldn't stay there always
00:10:33
in getting out why could you stay there
00:10:37
why did you find the need to fight well
00:10:39
I just have a really horrible anger
00:10:42
problem so I always let that get the
00:10:43
best of me even looking at you now I'm
00:10:45
finding it difficult to believe that you
00:10:47
are capable of having done that I'm very
00:10:51
much capable of it because you're still
00:10:54
very young yeah I'm 25 and your sentence
00:10:59
was 16 years to 8 if you behave well
00:11:04
yeah if you control your anger right and
00:11:11
actually probably in their most recent
00:11:14
year I can say I think getting control
00:11:17
of my anger and I have two kids so I
00:11:20
know I have to go to kids yes how old
00:11:24
today there are seven and nine two
00:11:27
little girls do you feel you have let
00:11:31
them down by not being there for them
00:11:33
yes and I deal with that every day and I
00:11:36
really like my biggest motivation to
00:11:38
changing and being different and coming
00:11:41
out of here and you know taking
00:11:43
something from it not just oh I've been
00:11:45
in prison you know I want to walk out of
00:11:47
here and be something for them I just do
00:11:49
not want them to follow this theme
00:11:51
circle like my mother was in prison you
00:11:55
know this is the same what full
00:11:57
attempted murder and aggravated robbery
00:12:00
said that that was not perhaps a great
00:12:02
start for you in your life was that's
00:12:06
kind of what you know kicked everything
00:12:07
off it's mama leaving
00:12:12
[Music]
00:12:16
Eddie hearts will be free in only a few
00:12:19
months she'll spend much longer picking
00:12:24
up the threads of her life
00:12:27
[Music]
00:12:37
[Music]
00:12:41
I'm on my way to the Rockville
00:12:43
Correctional Facility
00:12:47
[Music]
00:12:51
this is the largest women's prison in
00:12:53
the state of Indiana
00:13:02
I still need Boeing Joe
00:13:08
[Music]
00:13:15
Rockville is a clearinghouse for
00:13:17
convicts from all over the state
00:13:20
some will serve all their time here
00:13:24
others are assessed and moved on to
00:13:26
other prisons
00:13:30
every month on average 200 new offenders
00:13:33
arrived this is their first port of call
00:13:42
from now on their every action will be
00:13:45
governed by prison rules any sexual
00:13:53
contact of any kind between you and
00:13:55
staff and your offenders do our stuff go
00:14:00
over there and get a Styrofoam cup put
00:14:01
your name on it there's water in the
00:14:04
orange thing from the way an intake
00:14:07
looks when she comes in here can you
00:14:10
tell what she might be in for no I don't
00:14:15
ever try to guess some of them when you
00:14:18
look at him and you look at the offender
00:14:19
it's like you cannot believe that that's
00:14:22
what she's here for
00:14:22
you'll frequently surprised by well
00:14:25
we've done very much so yeah you would
00:14:28
if you look at you know the paper and
00:14:29
then look at her and you're going
00:14:30
there's no way that yep do you see many
00:14:35
of the same people coming and going yes
00:14:39
they'll come in that door back there and
00:14:40
say I'm home and I'm going really you
00:14:44
know because for some of them this is
00:14:47
because they have nowhere else to go
00:14:51
okay I'm gonna roll each finger and
00:14:53
we'll start with your right thumb
00:14:57
hello I'm Trevor have you been in this
00:15:02
prison before yes I have for a Fort
00:15:05
Wayne Fort Wayne Indiana I've been here
00:15:07
for possession of meth so I've been here
00:15:09
before but I always stayed like an
00:15:11
intake
00:15:11
I didn't leave intake so but this time I
00:15:13
will yeah so this time you will be in
00:15:16
the general prison population what what
00:15:20
sort of prospect is that for you um a
00:15:23
little scary but at the same time like
00:15:28
don't teach me little morals you know
00:15:31
teach me not to come back do you have a
00:15:35
drug dependency um I've been to rehab
00:15:39
again I'm an addict straight up so yeah
00:15:43
I do how long have you been an addict um
00:15:47
since I was 17 I'm 28 long time do you
00:15:53
have children
00:15:54
I do have four um fortune I for my
00:15:57
oldest one is 13 I've at 13 year old 12
00:16:00
year old nine year old into six year old
00:16:01
I'm trying to find a hopeful road out do
00:16:03
this for you what's that I don't know I
00:16:09
had to have a game plan when I leave
00:16:11
here I know that like going back to life
00:16:14
like when I got in trouble this time I
00:16:16
violated probation because I didn't have
00:16:18
no transportation back and forth and I
00:16:20
wasn't using and I haven't used for
00:16:22
maybe three months at the most you know
00:16:23
and that's pretty good for me because I
00:16:25
was doing needles and all kind of stuff
00:16:27
but three months is a big step and I
00:16:31
just wanted it a little bit further and
00:16:32
a little bit further but it's just it's
00:16:35
hard it's really hard
00:16:41
thank you very much for talking to me
00:16:43
good luck
00:16:50
new inmates have a month of prison
00:16:53
orientation they are easily recognized
00:16:55
by their orange uniform
00:16:57
[Music]
00:17:02
for every new arrival some other
00:17:04
prisoner is about to leave
00:17:06
[Music]
00:17:10
ma the search is quietly counting down
00:17:13
the dense
00:17:17
[Music]
00:17:21
I caught up with her on her mail
00:17:24
delivery round Martha how long have you
00:17:28
been in almost 20 years the thought of
00:17:31
getting out must be a exhilarating one
00:17:33
yes but you must also be worried about
00:17:37
getting back into the world after all
00:17:40
this time yeah I am but um this time has
00:17:44
given me time to discover things I
00:17:48
didn't have before like patience and um
00:17:51
I know it's gonna be hard it's gonna be
00:17:52
a little bit difficult but I just take
00:17:54
one day at a time and I'm just anxious
00:17:56
to see how the world is changed in that
00:17:58
20 years you never left to catch up on
00:18:00
yes I have a lot to catch up on and I
00:18:03
have two daughters grown that were ages
00:18:06
almost 13 and 16 when I was incarcerated
00:18:08
who are now 32 and 35 so I haven't seen
00:18:12
them in a while have you seen any of
00:18:14
them since you've been here I haven't
00:18:16
seen my youngest daughter since 99 she
00:18:18
couldn't do it no more and my oldest I
00:18:20
stopped coming in 2005 because she
00:18:22
didn't want to leave without me anymore
00:18:23
you missed quite a lot I just went from
00:18:26
here to Terre Haute to the hospital not
00:18:28
long ago and I was awestruck at the
00:18:31
things I saw and I had had the officer
00:18:33
tell me what it was because I didn't I
00:18:35
didn't know what it was things things
00:18:37
like what I seen this little gadget once
00:18:39
and I didn't know what it was someone
00:18:41
said was an iPod so I had to have him
00:18:42
explain to me what an iPod was cause I
00:18:44
don't know and a cell phone I'm used to
00:18:48
your course phones at home so but I was
00:18:53
I'm like yeah I can't wake you out and
00:18:55
try these things I'm I'm what type of
00:18:56
person likes to learn things and I'm
00:18:58
curious and I'm gonna find out then
00:19:00
we'll get on Google I found out all
00:19:01
about Google and I know them I just
00:19:03
can't wait I just can't wait to explore
00:19:04
everything so you waiting to make your
00:19:08
entry back into the real world yes and
00:19:11
I've told my children that you might
00:19:13
still see a little prison in me because
00:19:15
I've been down so long you know there
00:19:17
might be this what does that mean there
00:19:19
might be just one time when I look at
00:19:20
the clock and think it's count time or
00:19:23
not sure if I should answer the
00:19:24
telephone and money's gonna be strange
00:19:27
to my hands you know and so I said if I
00:19:30
act a little
00:19:31
different or if I wonder offer an hour
00:19:34
to don't worry about mom I'm exploring
00:19:36
have you thought what your first night
00:19:38
of freedom would be like when you can
00:19:40
sleep in the bed of your own I feel it
00:19:44
might show me how a little bit of heaven
00:19:47
would feel that's how I think of it is a
00:19:50
little bit of heaven you know in a dome
00:19:52
surrounded by other people heaven heaven
00:20:02
for 20 years
00:20:04
Martha search has been told what to do
00:20:07
and when all those decisions will soon
00:20:12
be hers alone
00:20:19
prison inmates and long sentences
00:20:21
survived partly on dreams of freedom but
00:20:27
in August 2008 one female offender Sarah
00:20:31
Pender actually broke out of Rockville
00:20:36
the convicted double murderer but
00:20:39
earlier told me that her escape plan
00:20:41
relied on the help of officers Scott
00:20:43
Spitler now since September we've been
00:20:47
hot on the trail of a woman authorities
00:20:50
have called a female Charles Manson now
00:20:53
recently she was added to the US
00:20:55
Marshals 15 most wanted list making her
00:20:58
the most wanted woman in America but how
00:21:04
on earth did the authorities explain the
00:21:06
fact that she escaped lieutenant Brad
00:21:09
Gray was on duty on the day of the
00:21:11
breakout
00:21:12
lieutenant gray what were your
00:21:14
impressions of Sarah Pender while she
00:21:16
was here she was always trying to get
00:21:20
get an advantage over someone or
00:21:22
something it was always about anytime
00:21:26
you talk to her if you ask her a
00:21:29
question she would typically respond
00:21:31
with what's in it for me and when people
00:21:33
you know either say that or give you the
00:21:36
impression that that's what they're
00:21:37
trying to do then then it should put you
00:21:39
on notice that you know you have to be
00:21:41
careful about how you're dealing with
00:21:42
them
00:21:44
[Music]
00:21:46
she got out through a back door
00:21:48
in this recreation building having
00:21:52
changed into casual clothes she hid her
00:21:55
prison uniform in the ceiling the door
00:21:58
alarms failed to go off and a white van
00:22:02
was waiting with panda crouching under
00:22:06
the backseat Spitler gopher out of the
00:22:09
West Gate and out onto the open road
00:22:14
what were your feelings about the fact
00:22:16
that this was an officer with whom you
00:22:18
would work very closely someone you knew
00:22:21
someone you had served with and someone
00:22:24
you respected as a as a colleague once
00:22:26
we discovered that it was him that that
00:22:28
had driven Pender out of the facility I
00:22:30
was just absolutely sick just sick to my
00:22:33
stomach
00:22:34
physically sick mentally sick over the
00:22:36
entire episode Sarah Pender proved to be
00:22:39
as you had probably thought but when she
00:22:43
came in here that she was just as Trevor
00:22:46
and manipulators you had originally felt
00:22:49
oh absolutely she's she proven hers has
00:22:52
proven herself to be that time and time
00:22:54
again and that is probably the the best
00:22:58
proof of it right then and there if you
00:23:01
can convince an officer someone who was
00:23:04
trained not to do that somebody who was
00:23:06
trained to maintain the order and the
00:23:10
peace of a facility if you can convince
00:23:13
that person to drive you out of a
00:23:15
Correctional Facility you can convince
00:23:17
anybody to do anything
00:23:23
the authorities were bruised by Sarah
00:23:26
pandas escape
00:23:28
she was put in solitary confinement and
00:23:31
has now been here for almost five years
00:23:34
longer than any other female prisoner in
00:23:38
the state
00:23:39
[Laughter]
00:23:47
[Music]
00:23:55
of the 1200 offenders at Rockville
00:23:58
Correctional Facility 85% of them are
00:24:01
mothers
00:24:03
[Music]
00:24:10
I'm on my way to Dom tree to where new
00:24:14
arrivals to the prison our house Thank
00:24:17
You Paula McIntosh a mother of four was
00:24:27
beginning the difficult process of
00:24:29
adjustment Paula what was your first
00:24:31
night like here like going in all the
00:24:36
new girls was it a very talkative dorm
00:24:39
did you get some sleep they let me sleep
00:24:42
they helped me they talked to me a
00:24:43
little bit tell me if I needed any
00:24:45
shampoo or anything yeah yeah a lot of
00:24:49
noise on of echoes you can wake up easy
00:24:51
you know what was the biggest shock to
00:24:54
you
00:24:55
coming into intake when you like yeah
00:24:58
like not really to intake just like when
00:25:01
you drive up in that vehicle and you
00:25:03
turn around and you see that like the
00:25:04
last gate closed it's like your heart
00:25:06
goes instead yeah it's really hard well
00:25:11
you have a visit soon no no my family
00:25:14
won't come up here like my dad like he
00:25:18
doesn't really come and say yes cuz he
00:25:21
just it's just really hard on him so I
00:25:23
don't I'm pretty sure I won't get no
00:25:24
business why would your father come to
00:25:26
see you I think it's too hard on him
00:25:28
because there's me and then my brothers
00:25:30
it just turned 18 he's like that and
00:25:32
it's just like a pattern you know and
00:25:34
it's I think it's really hard on him
00:25:35
it's a behold come save me it's hard on
00:25:38
him but it's also very tough on you that
00:25:41
he wouldn't come to see you yeah he's
00:25:43
got my daughter he's got my 9 year old
00:25:44
right now so you know he's got a lot of
00:25:47
responsibilities on him so I said the I
00:25:51
don't know pretty for him is all I can
00:25:54
do your daughter is nine at that age
00:25:57
she's able to understand the great deal
00:26:00
I wonder what your what your father said
00:26:02
to her or says to her about your
00:26:04
situation like that before
00:26:08
my daughters Melissa and she's like
00:26:10
she's really strong and she knows
00:26:12
everything I don't lie to her I told her
00:26:13
she knows about my drug use she knows
00:26:16
about my she knows everything
00:26:19
I called her this time told I was going
00:26:21
to prison she's like just keep your head
00:26:25
up
00:26:27
gosh that's a pretty tearing to be told
00:26:32
by your nine-year-old daughter to keep
00:26:33
your head up and but even for you to
00:26:35
make a call to since you're going to
00:26:36
prison
00:26:44
and you have no idea when you'll see her
00:26:47
again no um her dad just got out of
00:26:52
prison and he's not seen her not one
00:26:54
time and um she's nine and I guess he's
00:26:58
just like coming around my dad's letting
00:27:00
him come and see her like visits so
00:27:02
that's like a big step for her to when
00:27:05
is this it then it's like I'm there and
00:27:07
then I'm gone you know well I hope your
00:27:14
time passes here very quickly and I hope
00:27:16
that you get a chance to be reunited
00:27:19
with your daughter and your family thank
00:27:23
you very much for talking to me thank
00:27:26
you
00:27:42
[Music]
00:27:46
at Indiana women's prison
00:27:50
it's morning recreation it's a chance
00:27:56
for inmates to make friends and
00:27:57
cultivate relationships which can be a
00:28:00
desperately important part of prison
00:28:03
life
00:28:04
[Music]
00:28:14
the most troublesome offenders have few
00:28:18
opportunities to do that they are
00:28:20
confined to this segregation unit they
00:28:28
have one hour out of their cells under
00:28:31
escorted Shaklee even to go for a shower
00:28:36
[Music]
00:28:38
Sarah Pender cell faces that of a friend
00:28:42
armed bank robber Desiree Hancock I
00:28:58
noticed your opposite Sarah Pender yes I
00:29:01
loved her that's one of my very good
00:29:04
friends very good friend she I would
00:29:06
like to give her a lot of credit for
00:29:10
partly the woman that I am today like
00:29:12
when I get ready to show out or I'll get
00:29:14
ready to snap coz this place will take
00:29:15
you there she'll be like doesn't rain
00:29:18
shut up or shut up go sit down and I'll
00:29:21
go sit down I'll calm down in a place
00:29:23
like this friend is not a word that you
00:29:25
just throwing it's not something that
00:29:28
you just say because women are very
00:29:31
vindictive creatures and they're very
00:29:33
fake and they're very just caddy they
00:29:36
were smiling your face and they'd just
00:29:38
be like hey and I just hope nothing but
00:29:40
the best for you and then you turn
00:29:41
around and even blue slipped you like
00:29:42
thirty five times they're trying to get
00:29:43
you in your girlfriend separated how
00:29:45
close do these relationships get you
00:29:47
mentioned women and her girlfriend
00:29:48
that's a it's a pretty pretty pretty
00:29:51
pretty deep thank you pretty deep a lot
00:29:53
of women don't come in here gay I wasn't
00:29:55
when I came to prison but I am now and
00:29:57
oh you are you have become accessing gay
00:30:01
yes I'm a lesbian uh-huh yes I am but
00:30:05
you you discovered that or you became
00:30:07
that when you here when you came to this
00:30:09
years before I came to president oh man
00:30:12
okay
00:30:14
it's just I don't know loneliness is
00:30:17
what started it and then I don't know
00:30:20
one thing led to another and it may seem
00:30:23
fake on outside but emotions and
00:30:25
feelings are real and you have had such
00:30:27
a deep relationship in this to two great
00:30:32
loves I've had a dozen relationships but
00:30:35
I had two great loves and I had in this
00:30:38
prison and I will say that I damaged
00:30:41
both of them i damaged both of them how
00:30:45
did you do that how did you down a chile
00:30:46
vina cheater a liar just it was like
00:30:50
being at you tomorrow like when you're
00:30:52
in a relationship it's like being a kid
00:30:54
in a candy store it's not just in one
00:30:55
room guess it's not one girl is 740
00:30:58
girdles so a now - 740 probably only 40
00:31:02
ain't gay
00:31:02
mmm the rest them this is the gayest
00:31:04
place on earth the rest of them are all
00:31:06
gay
00:31:32
it's lunchtime on unit 13
00:31:37
inmates follow a well marked out route
00:31:39
to the food hall
00:31:43
[Music]
00:31:59
I meet up again with Eddie Hawks who is
00:32:03
hoping very soon to leave this place for
00:32:06
good
00:32:06
come I'll have to grab one of these
00:32:12
what's what's on the menu today this is
00:32:15
a chicken patty with gravy what is this
00:32:17
a chicken patty ok gravy this is
00:32:20
supposed to be cabbage and this is some
00:32:22
kind of Spanish rice Spanish rice
00:32:25
something that's really not bad I'm
00:32:27
bashing the food but sometimes it really
00:32:29
isn't that bad like I'm gonna eat this
00:32:31
that's right a bit
00:32:32
hey guys ready to say great ok dear Lord
00:32:36
we come to you thank you for this meal
00:32:37
we ask that you bless and let it be a
00:32:38
nourishment to our bodies and your
00:32:39
precious thing we pray and thank you
00:32:40
aiming the gravy's to watering still
00:32:44
made it really soggy the other thing is
00:32:46
about this place which is very obvious
00:32:48
is that this is an all-female
00:32:51
environment which you had to get used to
00:32:55
right
00:32:56
and that's kind of funny because on the
00:32:58
streets I never really hung around
00:33:00
females but there's people here that I
00:33:02
mean I'm close with Queenie's one of
00:33:04
them mrs. crusher we're close not like
00:33:08
sisters but you know just close people
00:33:11
that you you bond with and have fun wins
00:33:15
yes ok we all have a common bond
00:33:18
no matter your current we all have a
00:33:20
common bond like it's we could see
00:33:22
someone like of course I'm having a bad
00:33:24
day or a D having a bad day and she
00:33:25
crying you know this is a no touch
00:33:27
facility I'm opposed to be hugging but
00:33:30
we do like women needs to the comfort of
00:33:33
hey it's gonna be alright
00:33:35
and if you can tell me all day but if
00:33:37
you touch me and let me know it's gonna
00:33:39
be all right is everything on the
00:33:43
surface so are there deeper
00:33:45
relationships of that in here yeah
00:33:47
plenty of but I try not to
00:33:52
I've been involved with me for
00:33:54
relationships in here and it just didn't
00:33:56
really go well so I just try not so you
00:33:58
were you say mm-hmm it didn't go well
00:34:02
no and I make you feel like it's going
00:34:05
well while it's going but one since
00:34:08
they're like out of sight they go home
00:34:10
or something it never goes as planned
00:34:12
like all the words they've said it
00:34:14
doesn't add up now you're looking
00:34:16
forward to being out in a few months but
00:34:18
what what are the fears what other
00:34:21
worries about this world that you're
00:34:24
going into after six seven eight years
00:34:26
well what concerns you really just the
00:34:30
fact of being put back in the same
00:34:32
environment the same surroundings you
00:34:34
know in making the other choice not the
00:34:37
negative choice so you're looking at the
00:34:46
cabbage you can have my cabbages capice
00:34:51
so you'll have two cabbages to death
00:34:54
right you'll take the chicken patty
00:34:55
I sure will I think I'm glad my presence
00:34:58
here is serving some purpose so you left
00:35:00
me you've left me bread and rice thank
00:35:04
you very much this how it works around
00:35:08
here will you will you miss that he
00:35:10
would you miss yes I to me she's a
00:35:12
youngster so I think it's my job to put
00:35:15
some meat on her brain me put a little
00:35:17
knowledge on her so she won't come back
00:35:19
here this is not where you want to be I
00:35:21
keep her grounded like if she's mad I'm
00:35:23
like okay addy let's talk do you think
00:35:25
that she's going to stay out of trouble
00:35:27
I think so I think she got it right she
00:35:29
has babies
00:35:31
great go home it kind of keeps me really
00:35:34
motive and that's the big punch of you
00:35:35
two is that you have your life back with
00:35:38
your with your children the biggest
00:35:41
thing I just can't wait they deserve so
00:35:43
much more you know like this has been my
00:35:46
life and this is my parents life and
00:35:48
this was their parents life and I'm just
00:35:50
so ready to break that curse that cycle
00:35:58
the prison officers I spoke to will
00:36:01
optimistic that once she's released
00:36:03
Eddie hearts stands a good chance of
00:36:06
keeping out of trouble
00:36:08
[Music]
00:36:18
[Music]
00:36:27
at the end of my first visit I asked to
00:36:30
see the convicted double murderer Sarah
00:36:33
Pender again
00:36:40
hi Sara
00:36:45
once described is America's most wanted
00:36:47
woman her notoriety is a far cry from
00:36:50
her formative years and life as a
00:36:53
college student
00:36:56
[Music]
00:36:59
all that change in the year 2000 Penda
00:37:02
was charged with the murder of a couple
00:37:04
with whom she shared a house
00:37:09
they were actually shocked by her
00:37:11
boyfriend Richard hull but the
00:37:13
prosecution believed that Sarah Pender
00:37:15
was instrumental in planning the murder
00:37:17
she bought the murder weapon
00:37:24
[Music]
00:37:26
and she helped to dispose of the bodies
00:37:31
in this skip
00:37:39
she has a charles manson like ability to
00:37:43
manipulate people to act as surrogates
00:37:47
for and committing crimes the evidence
00:37:49
was overwhelming that if she didn't pull
00:37:52
the trigger she did everything else
00:37:56
Penda has always admitted helping to get
00:37:59
rid of the bodies
00:38:00
but she strenuously denies masterminding
00:38:04
the killings but she failed to convince
00:38:09
the jury Pender was found guilty of
00:38:12
double murder I kept hoping to get to
00:38:19
the bottom of the Sarah Pender story
00:38:21
okay the thing that I have always got
00:38:27
from the conversations we've had before
00:38:29
is that you are not typical of the
00:38:33
people in this prison environment
00:38:36
generally would you agree I would I
00:38:40
would I am I have a wider worldview and
00:38:46
I think that I've been able to glean
00:38:50
more wisdom than the typical person I'm
00:38:55
generally more educated I have thought I
00:38:58
have five years of college why did you
00:39:01
choose the path that ended you up here
00:39:03
it was an emotional attachment to
00:39:06
someone who when I found out that he
00:39:09
dealt drugs that I accepted it because I
00:39:14
didn't want to lose him so at every
00:39:18
stage you were aware of where that
00:39:21
codependency was taking you yes I went
00:39:24
into the relationship with my eyes open
00:39:26
however I was very very naive and I
00:39:31
never thought that it would bring harm
00:39:33
to me or anyone that I loved and like
00:39:37
most women I thought that I could change
00:39:39
him and I asked him to stop selling
00:39:42
drugs and to get a real job and he
00:39:46
agreed
00:39:47
and that was the path that I thought we
00:39:50
were going on it they tell you aware
00:39:51
that there were guns in the house or a
00:39:54
gun in the house yeah I bought the gun
00:39:56
it was my gun I he asked me to buy em a
00:40:01
gun if someone asked me to buy a gun my
00:40:03
first question would be a why me why are
00:40:06
you asking me to do it and what are you
00:40:08
going to use it for
00:40:09
did you ask those questions yeah and he
00:40:12
told me that I was the only person who
00:40:14
was who didn't have a criminal
00:40:15
background because in Bethan itself is
00:40:18
awfully suspicious what you can't in
00:40:21
America you can't buy a firearm legally
00:40:23
if you have a felony and so I was the
00:40:26
only person who was legally able to buy
00:40:28
it but I earn but I'm talking about the
00:40:30
fact that you were being asked by a gun
00:40:33
by a felon
00:40:34
the thought of being left alone
00:40:38
frightened me more than whatever
00:40:42
consequences would come from purchasing
00:40:47
a firearm what kind of a gun was this it
00:40:51
was a shotgun that you would use for
00:40:55
hunting like I think birds I don't know
00:41:01
I didn't pick it out but but in the end
00:41:03
it was not used for hunting birds it was
00:41:04
used for shooting to people with whom he
00:41:08
was in his disagreement yeah well he
00:41:10
actually had no disagreement with a
00:41:12
woman he said he shot her just because
00:41:15
she was a witness the bear fact of the
00:41:18
matter is that you purchased a gun which
00:41:23
was used in the killing of two people
00:41:33
did you think about the victims of the
00:41:38
people who were killed in this in this
00:41:40
crime nothing more about their families
00:41:48
the woman had three kids
00:41:50
Patricia's she had three children and
00:41:56
despite the fact that they were both
00:41:58
felons drug dealers doesn't matter if
00:42:00
they were still people and they have
00:42:01
families that love them just like I have
00:42:02
family that loves me and they can't ever
00:42:05
get those people back what did you think
00:42:08
when you heard the judge of the
00:42:12
prosecutor pronounce the sentence on you
00:42:14
because you were give him a very long to
00:42:17
very long sentences yes I was given 110
00:42:22
years 110 years
00:42:32
what were your emotions on hearing that
00:42:35
dreadful sentence disbelief why did the
00:42:46
jury in the end conclude that you were
00:42:50
directly involved in the murder of two
00:42:52
people
00:42:58
I knew that I had I knew that I had
00:43:01
committed a crime but I knew I wasn't
00:43:07
guilty of murder and and I was willing
00:43:14
to take responsibility for my actions in
00:43:19
that case it was was it in somebody's
00:43:21
mind the mind of the prosecutors the
00:43:24
prosecuting authorities that you had
00:43:27
somehow encouraged or manipulated him
00:43:31
into doing into into committing those
00:43:33
murders yes yes that was their theory
00:43:36
that I had that I had this is where the
00:43:39
entire or the entire reputation of
00:43:44
manipulation that I'm a manipulator came
00:43:46
from the prosecutor had went forward on
00:43:51
the theory that I had manipulated
00:43:53
Richard into murdering murdering the
00:43:57
victims and his theory was that I wanted
00:44:01
them out of my house you are being
00:44:03
judged or you as seen you are perceived
00:44:06
as a two-faced manipulator yeah yeah
00:44:12
which is really hard label to carry
00:44:14
every time I meet somebody new if they
00:44:17
are aware of my infamous reputation it's
00:44:20
a new hurdle to jump and that's a
00:44:25
consequence of my actions
00:44:37
[Music]
00:44:39
next week I talked to a woman who took
00:44:43
the life of her three-month-old son so
00:44:46
you were cast as a baby killer I was
00:44:49
that I am that I'm a lot more than that
00:44:52
as well but that's who I am
00:44:56
I meet newborns Aidan what would you
00:45:00
tell your son when he is old enough
00:45:03
about where he was born in the
00:45:06
circumstances in which he was born I
00:45:08
would just tell him that Mommy made a
00:45:10
big mistake and hopefully he didn't
00:45:12
won't ever come to a place like this
00:45:14
and I speak to a murderer who managed to
00:45:18
stay on the run for 35 years I heard
00:45:22
something coming in the back door and I
00:45:26
thought oh no it's the cops
00:45:29
[Music]
