In the Place of Justice - Softcover

Wilbert Rideau

Softcover

ISBN 10: 184668434X ISBN 13: 9781846684340

Publisher: Profile Books, 2011

Synopsis

In 1961, at the age of nineteen, young, black, eighth-grade dropout, Wilbert Rideau, despaired of the dead-end and small-town future his life held for him. He set out to rob the local bank and in an ill-concieved out and bungled robbery he killed the bank teller - a young, white female. He was arrested and gave a full confession at the local police station while angry mobs chanted 'kill that nigger' outside. From this beginning, where we meet Rideau, newly sentenced to death row, he starts on an extraordinary journey. One that begins in the most violent prison in America, where brutality, years spent in solitary confinement, sexual slavery and local politics govern and confine many in ways that bars alone cannot. The ending to this compelling book is like nothing you will have read before, full of breathtaking suspense and gripping, gritty realism, a heartbreaking, emotionally wrought and magical ending to Rideau's prison life is skilfully and vigorously evoked. This is a powerful and inspirational memoir unlike any other, one that is sure to question our expectations of prisoners and the role of jails in rehabilitating them.

About this title

About the Author

Wilbert Rideau has won many journalism awards. He was editor of the Angolite, the first prison publication to be nominated for a National Magazine Award. It was nominated seven times under his editorship. He also co-directed the documentary The Farm which was nominated for an Oscar. He now lives in Louisiana.

Review

A book that moves without letup to an ending that's alive with suspense -- Elmore Leonard A series of stunning journalistic revelations... quite simply, no prison memoir in recent memory contains prose as deft or as riveting -- David Friend * Vanity Fair * This is a breathtaking and, ultimately, triumphant story of rehabilitation through endurance and courageous journalism.It is also a searing indictment of a broken, corrupt penal system that does far more damage than good to our society as a whole. This is an extraordinary book. -- Ted Koppel * BBC * To hold in your hand a book like this is a small miracle. Rideau's endurance and strength of spirit are an amazement, models for all humankind. I found his story to be utterly gripping and it will not be giving anything away to say that I have not read such a happy ending in a long, long time. -- Ted Conover, author of Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing Candid ... poignant... Rideau is the rarest of American commodities - a man who exited a penitentiary in better shape than when he arrived -- David Oshinsky * New York Times Book Review * Incisive ... Rideau commits a fair amount of real journalism in this memoir. That is, he names names - wardens, fellow prisoners, guards - and tells stories as straightforwardly as he can. His account of life in Angola is an important one ... the ending of In the Place of Justice is as low-key, but as emotional, as any words I've read in a long time -- Dwight Garner * New York Times * Riveting ... amazing ... the picture of prison life painted by Rideau isn't the one portrayed in many movies. There is violence and brutality, especially for the weak ... but Rideau mostly shows that prison is a place where people are still living their lives ...amazingly, after the fear, the periods of isolation, and the hate he experienced, Rideau was able to lead a productive life and help others. Now he has provided a wonderful chance to share his remarkable life -- Mary Foster * Associated Press * Engrossing, searing, and often heart-rending, this stunning narrative is ultimately about transcendence: how Wilbert Rideau overcame childhood misery, perversions of justice, and the darkness of imprisonment to become the rare man who could write such a book. -- Richard North Patterson, author of The Race In The Place Of Justice is beyond a doubt the most intimate look at life behind bars that I have ever come across. Like any fine piece of journalism, the book is neither an apology nor an excuse for bad deeds; it is simply the record of a life lived, and all the bad choices and wrong turns that come along with that. Rideau writes with brutal honesty about the walls - both literal and figurative - that imprison us all, and the courage required to break free. * Attica Locke *

Edition details

• Publisher: Profile Books
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 184668434X
• ISBN 13: 9781846684340
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384