Life after Death Row: Exonerees' Search for Community and Identity

by Saundra D. Westervelt, Kimberly J. Cook

Life after Death Row examines the post-incarceration struggles of individuals who have been wrongly convicted of capital crimes, sentenced to death, and subsequently exonerated.

Saundra D. Westervelt and Kimberly J. Cook present eighteen exonerees’ stories, focusing on three central areas: the invisibility of the innocent after release, the complicity of the justice system in that invisibility, and personal trauma management. Contrary to popular belief, exonerees are not automatically compensated by the state or provided adequate assistance in the transition to post-prison life. With no time and little support, many struggle to find homes, financial security, and community. They have limited or obsolete employment skills and difficulty managing such daily tasks as grocery shopping or banking. They struggle to regain independence, self-sufficiency, and identity.

Drawing upon research on trauma, recovery, coping, and stigma, the authors weave a nuanced fabric of grief, loss, resilience, hope, and meaning to provide the richest account to date of the struggles faced by people striving to reclaim their lives after years of wrongful incarceration.

Genres: Nonfiction

280 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2012

Reviews

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I go to church with Saundra and taught her son in Sunday School. What a gift it is to know people who are so smart and who share their expertise. Saundra and her friend conducted interviews with people who were wrongly convicted and sentenced to death but then subsequently released. There is no automatic compensation for them, no assistance as they transition back into the outside world, and there are barely any apologies from the state. Exonerees, though they were wrongly convicted, have to go through a complicated legal process to get their records expunged (and if they don’t, their records will be flagged when potential employers run background checks). If they do receive compensation, it takes an average of four years for the money to get to them, but of course it’s needed much earlier as they are trying to find housing and start over. The parts of the book that I found most moving were when the exonerees discussed their conversations with the victims’ families and how much those apologies meant to them. I also really enjoyed the discussion of the ways that exonerees deal with the pain of their wrongful convictions. Some of them turn inward and believe that there were things that they needed to learn or that God used that time to teach them certain lessons. Others take that pain and use it to fight against the death penalty and for more assistance for other exonerees. This is a smart, well-organized discussion of the exonerees and their experiences, and I recommend it for a peek into the injustice of our justice system.

[Chris Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Westervelt and Dr. Cook conducted thorough interviews with death row exonerees and here provide an in-depth and thoughtful analysis. Their work is excellent and provides a voice to those who have been gravely harmed by the system. Despite its academic underpinning it is very accessible and easy to read.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent sociological take on those who were wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death, then released back into society. The authors do a terrific job highlighting the struggles through this process of reintergration. I had the pleasure of taking Sociology of Law with Dr. Westervelt in grad school at UNCG.

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Powerful. Worth a read