According to court documents filed in Cleveland on Wednesday, the three young women abducted and tortured by Ariel Castro kept a diary detailing their years of captivity.

"The entries speak of forced sexual conduct, of being locked in a dark room, of anticipating the next session of abuse, of the dreams of someday escaping and being reunited with family, of being chained to a wall, of being held like a prisoner of war, of missing the lives they once enjoyed, of emotional abuse, of his threats to kill, of being treated like an animal, of continuous abuse, and of desiring freedom," the sentencing memo, written by Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty, says.

Castro pleaded guilty last week and was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 1,000 years as part of his plea deal.

The memo also included additional horrific details about the woman's imprisonment. From NBC News:

Castro lured Knight into his car in 2002 by promising her he would give her a puppy for her son. He spotted Berry walking home from work in 2003 and asked whether she would like to visit with his daughter. And in 2004, he offered DeJesus a ride home from school.

Once in the home on Seymour Avenue, the women were restrained with chains, fed one meal a day and allowed one or two cold showers a week. Each of the women was sexually abused on a regularly basis.

Whenever one of them tried to escape, he would assault her and force the other two to watch.

There was at least some good news regarding the case on Wednesday. Cleveland police released a handwritten note from Michelle Knight, one of Castro's victims, thanking the police department for their efforts.

"I am overwhelmed by the amount of thoughts, love & prayers expressed by complete strangers," the note reads. "It is comforting.

"Life is tough, but I'm tougher."

The full note is below.

[Image via AP]