Matthew Omisore, Remembrance
Prison Diaries
Produced by: Joe Richman All Things Considered (NPR)
2/1/2002


Jacki Lydon, Host: Matthew Omisore died two weeks ago. It's not likely you know that name. Matthew was 18 years old; he lived in Providence, RI. He sold drugs for most of his teenage years, when he wasn't locked up. His story is not unique, yet it's a story listeners might remember. At the age of 16 Matthew was given a tape recorder, to document his life behind bars. It was for the series "Prison Diaries" that aired on this program last year. Now independent producer Joe Richman has this remembrance.

Joe Richman, Reporter: The first time Matthew Omisore was locked-up, he was thirteen. He was 16 when I first met him, serving his third sentence for dealing drugs. By then he had spent more than half his teenage years incarcerated at a juvenile facility called the Rhode Island Training school. Matt and the other kids called it The Ritz. I gave Matthew a tape recorder while he was there and he had it for almost a year, recording the sounds, and scenes, and small moments of his day to day life.

Matthew Omisore: Yeah, this is room 58, this is my room. Just turning my knob, open the window up. From right here I can see, see a couple billboards, and I can see the highway. When I first came in here I was like 5í5". I couldnít look out these windows. Now Iím 6í4", mm. Now itís different, you know what I mean?

[Walkie talkie, keys jangling, fade up. Hear door hinges squeaking]

Guard: Letís go.

[Walkie talkie, jangling keys. Door closes, key turning in lock, sound of shuffling feet]

Joe Richman: Matt stood out at the training school. Not just because he was a foot taller than the other boys were - he was also smarter and funnier than most everyone there. And he was very confident, probably too confident. Matt didn't thing that he needed to follow any script of rehabilitation. He didn't talk about wanting to change, turn things around, do the right thing. Matt told everyone who asked that when he got out he would deal drugs again; the only difference is this time he would be an even better drug dealer.

Matthew had been recording for about 3 months when three things happened, he was released early, he went back to the old neighborhood, and two weeks he was arrested again. Back for the fourth time, Matt's recordings sounded different somehow, he was fed up with spending his life behind bars.

Matthew Omisore: This is Matt. Iím back in the Rhode Island Training School. Felt great to be out. Itís a waste of my life like wasting in this joint when I can be out doing things, and just living life the way everybody else does. Working, come home. Probably my own little business, like a little store, selling Now and Laters and sunflower seeds, and pampers, and f*ckin milk, and eggs, and cheese. I see myself running it, and owning it. Why not right?

Joe Richman: You always want to think that there will be a happy ending. The staff and the social workers at the training school liked Matthew. They played chess with him, they watched him grow up, and they had hundreds of conversations with Matt over the years, trying to convince him to use his talents for something other than selling drugs. But it didn't do any good. Matthew was charismatic, intelligent, good-looking and athletic but in the end, what happened seemed inevitable. When he was released last October, Matt was 18, which meant that if he was arrested again adult prison. Matt had spent his last three birthdays behind bars and he was looking forward to finally celebrating one at home. Instead a rival drug dealer, a 16-year-old kid, shot him first. Matthew was killed a day before his birthday. He would have been 19.

Matthew Omisore: Yeah, this is Matt. It's late, probably like, going on ten. [Lights click off] Lights just went out. Crawling under my blanket. Ch-ch-ch-ch. All right. Iíll see what's up in the morning. Iím out.

[Tape recorder clicks off]




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