A Life of Purpose
Refusing to allow his circumstances to limit him, Subu has spent his four decades of incarceration pursuing his education, developing his talents, and most importantly, serving those around him in deep and meaningful ways.
A growing stack of volunteer roles and contributions. A lengthening list of academic degrees and career achievement. Notes of commendation and gratitude from supervisors, teachers, and mentees. A robust network of elders and young people who call on him for camaraderie, advice, and insight.
Few 64-year-olds, inside or outside prison walls, can claim they’ve spent their time more valuably. And yet, these elements define the remarkable life Subu has achieved while being held in a maximum security prison for 42 years — 38 of those years on the prison’s Honor Block — for a crime he did not commit.
Subu has been recognized and commended in writing more than 51 times for his exemplary service across his endeavors, and his contributions have been acknowledged nearly three dozen times both inside and outside the prison by counselors, supervisors, superintendents, community organizations, universities, and individuals.
DEDICATED TO SERVICE
- Prison Literacy Council: Founding Board Member, Master Tutor, Tutor Trainer & more
- First Step Organization for Adolescent offenders: Organizational Photographer
- Run-a-thon to Benefit Big Brother/Big Sister Program: Committee member, volunteer & more
- Has helped hundreds of other inmates to earn their GEDs
In 1984 Subu became a founding board member of the first Pennsylvania inmate-initiated prison Literacy Council, one of the first in the country. Since then, he has been a board member, Fundraising Director, Treasurer, Master Tutor, Secretary, and Tutor Trainer for the council. In cooperation with Penn State University, he successfully authored a $21,171 grant from the National Institute of Corrections to fund the development of other inmate-initiated prison literacy councils across the nation. Since then, this tutor training program has been a model for prisons nationwide.
He has been an Advisory Board Member of the prison library, a member of the legislative committee of the Lifer's Association, and a member and organizational photographer for the Community First Step Organization to benefit adolescent offenders.
Subu has also been pivotal in the annual Runathon to help the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program, participating as a runner, counter, cameraman, committee member, and set-up volunteer. He has finished the runathon in first and third place himself several times. His other athletic achievements include becoming an USPF Certified Regional Official presiding at local and state wide powerlifting tournaments held at his prison and receiving the first place in the intramural badminton tournament in 1993. He has also participated in basketball and aerobics activities and has earned championships (in Softball, Basketball, Soccer, Flag Football, Indoor Soccer, Floor Tennis, Powerlifting and Badminton).
He worked in the Education Department for over 35 years, and he has received many commendations for his work. He currently supports curriculum development and delivery, IT education, and tutoring through the Education Department (education of inmates). He has taught and mentored hundreds of inmates to successfully complete their GED and degree programs.
Subu offers counsel and assistance to younger inmates and has helped many long-time inmates write successful parole applications. He often apprises his own lawyers of injustices to other inmates in the prison system, including human rights abuses during Covid 19, and of legal innovations that he learns about through this work.
LIFELONG LEARNER
- 55 certificates & diplomas
- Journeyman in Offset Lithography
- 3 university degrees
- Completed an MBA with a 4.0 GPA, becoming the only inmate in prison history to earn a graduate degree
Out of 10,000 prison inmates, only 1 completed an apprenticeship, and no inmate in SCIH’s history had ever completed a graduate degree. Subu has done both.
In fact, he has earned fifty-five certificates and diplomas and three university degrees.
He has completed trade vocational trainings in lithography, drafting, tutor training, teaching, information technology, English as a Second Language, accounting, library resources, and aerobics instruction, among others; academic courses in mathematics, finance, languages, law, administration, management, and more; and preparatory courses in financial planning, stress management, life skills, and exercise programs.
He earned his Journeyperson's papers in Offset Lithography after accumulating over 10,000 hours of apprenticeship training, and worked as a teacher's aide in the Print School for two years and then volunteered for an additional two years as a teacher's aide in the Nighttime Vocational Educational Program. He has received personal letters of thanks for the printing he has done from Deputy Commissioner Fulcomer, the PA Prison Wardens Association, the Print School instructor, and the prison Director of Education.
In 1991 Subu completed a college degree program offered in the prison by St. Francis College in Business Administration earning 75 credits and a 3.96 GPA. He has maintained a 4.0 GPA since then in several correspondence courses given by the University of Wisconsin extension program, including Advanced Calculus, Differential Equations, Spanish and Finance. He has also learned database management, word processing, and accounting through in-house programs. He has become nearly fluent in Spanish through his studies and now is studying Hindi.
In December of 2000 Subu graduated Magna Cum Laude from Regents College in New York with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. This was a major accomplishment, as the prison system and security requirements in maximum security prisons prohibit internet access, phone communication with professors or other students, access to library facilities, and purchase of certain textbooks. Time for study is limited to outside prison work hours.
In September 2021, he completed an MBA Program from Adams State University with a 4.0 GPA and many commendations from his professors, becoming the only inmate in SCI Huntingdon prison history to achieve a graduate degree.
TREASURED FRIEND, FAMILY MEMBER & MENTOR
On Honor Block, where he’s spent the past 38 years, Subu is liked and respected by the majority of both prisoners and staff, maintaining an exemplary prison record.
In his family, Subu is a steady presence and voice of wisdom. He maintains a close and thoughtful relationship with each of his beloved four nieces, taking an active role in their education and maintaining regular communication with each of them. He takes a genuine interest in each of their undertakings and involves them in his own, offering perspectives on financial strategies, business endeavors, and topics he'd like to learn more about (like seaweed farming!)
An avid reader, he consumes a range of non-fiction books and journals daily, discussing and sharing them with other inmates on the honor block. He keeps a log of his vast reading and shares his favorites with his family. His general knowledge on numerous topics is wide and he assists his family regularly on education, finance, job, and housing decisions.
Learn more in this expert assessment of Subu's incarceration record, which found that the likelihood of recidivism was near 0%.