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

Jan Arriens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 1997 | ISBN-10: 155553290X | ISBN-13: 978-1555532901

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."

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Northeastern (April 17, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155553290X
• ISBN-13: 978-1555532901
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,497,632 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I learned a lot from this book, March 10, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Welcome To Hell: Letters and Writings from Death Row (Criminal Justice) (Paperback)

I am 16 years old and I think this book was one of the best books I have ever read.I don't read very much but I read this book in about 3 hours. It tells you the truth about being on death row. And has changed my mind about the death penalty. I am going to recommend this book to everyone I know.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent book that Everyone should read!, July 20, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Welcome To Hell: Letters and Writings from Death Row (Criminal Justice) (Paperback)

This is an excellent book for everyone who has any interest in the Death Penalty. The letters in the book will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you scream! This book is compiled in such a beautiful way that it makes you appreciate that although some of these people may have committed horrible crimes, they are still human, and still have feelings. I have had the pleasure and honor of writing to one of the inmates profiled in this book, and it has been an experience I will never forget

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful & startling insight into society's inhumanity., June 14, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Welcome To Hell: Letters and Writings from Death Row (Criminal Justice) (Paperback)

This is the nearest you will ever be to the lowest echelons of hell - read "Welcome to Hell" and weep for the discarded and unwanted members of our throw away society. This is Death Row's own voice - the voice of men who have been shunned and abandoned, sometimes by their own families, whose lives are deemed to be worthless and yet who show through these writing that they retain their essential humanity and still have much to offer