Welcome To Hell: Letters and Writings from Death Row (Criminal Justice)

Arriens, Jan

ISBN 10: 155553290X / ISBN 13: 9781555532901

Published by Northeastern University Press, 1997

Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00082783091

Synopsis:

This deeply moving book vividly conveys life in the hidden world of death row by giving condemned men and women in the United States the rare opportunity to speak for themselves. Ranging from descriptions of cockroach races to eloquent statements about facing execution, this collection of letters from inmates to members of the pen friend group, Lifelines, unmasks the human face of the death penalty. As Sister Helen Prejean writes in her foreword, "Take this guided tour round Hell--guided by those who should know: the prisoners themselves."

Reviews: This book on the death penalty in America has two parts: a case history and a collection of letters written by men and women on death row. The first part evolved from a BBC documentary about the 1987 execution of Edward Johnson in Mississippi. His guilt was in question, and no one who knew him wanted to follow the court's instruction to execute him. In a chapter titled "The Murderer Lives," his lawyer writes a strong indictment of capital punishment that Arriens endorses. The letters in the second part, arranged by subject, were received by members of the LifeLine organization, which Arriens founded to assist condemned prisoners. The writers tell their personal histories and describe their existence in the hidden world of death row. As prison books go, this is neither the best nor the worst, but it will be valuable for large collections of law and crime.?Frances O. Sandiford, Green Haven Correction. Facil. Lib., Stormville, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Welcome To Hell: Letters and Writings from ...
Publisher: Northeastern University Press
Publication Date: 1997
Binding: Soft cover
Condition: Good