Within These Walls: Memoirs of a Death House Chaplain (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Carlton Stowers (Author) "It began as one of those glorious Texas days when the summer sun's warmth feels like a soothing balm and the blooming lantana and honeysuckle..." (more)
Key Phrases: prison siege, building tenders, prison cemetery, Death Row, Ellis Unit, Warden Pursley (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In 15 years, Pickett ministered to almost 100 condemned men in Texas. Because he was not allowed to hold their hands, he held the prisoners' ankles as they were administered lethal injections. This memoir, infused with the true crime style of coauthor Stowers, recalls the crimes of condemned men in horrifying detail, and then describes the equally upsetting state-sanctioned murder to which Reverend Pickett bore witness. Scenes outside of the death house show a chaplain of remarkable courage. Surviving divorce, a terrifying hostage crisis, and a frustrating morass of prison bureaucracy, Pickett persevered, bringing new life to the prison chapel and the prisoners who became his friends. Readers won't find theology here, or an analysis of how the awful things Pickett saw daily shaped his own spiritual path. Instead, this is a story of an extraordinary vocation, one for which being the chaplain sometimes meant sitting with a man, raped and bleeding, too terrified for his life to go to the hospital. A gripping look at America's prisons from a unique, and much needed, perspective. John Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Review

"A heartbreaking account...a dramatic story that is also a poignant--and compelling--brief against the death penalty." -- Stephen G. Michaud, author of Ted Bundy: Conversations with a Killer

"A must-read for anyone interested in getting past the generalities of capital punishment as an 'issue.' ...cogent and unflinching..." -- Ivan Solotaroff, author of The Last Face You'll Ever See

"A must-read for anyone interested in getting past the generalities of capital punishment as an 'issue.'...cogent and unflinching..." -- Ivan Solotaroff, the author of The Last Face You'll Ever See

"A profound, moving and fascinating book...shines a poignant light on the final hours in the lives of the condemned." -- Dave Isay NPR Producer, MacArthur Fellow, and Peabody Award Recipient --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 284 pages
• Publisher: Vision (January 30, 2003)
• ISBN-10: 1904132235
• ISBN-13: 978-1904132233
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,332,099 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll love it or hate it, December 2, 2002

By	Kyle Walker (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Within These Walls: Memoirs of a Death House Chaplain (Hardcover)

No one escapes this book without being confronted with the tragic realities of the death penalty. Rev. Pickett does not fluff this story with hype but tells it as he lived it. This is not just a testament about the death penalty but is also about the meaning of life, death, family systems, ministry, and, in the end of the book, loving one's enemies. You can argue that Pickett is wrong about the death penalty perhaps but you cannot argue with the fact that he did his job with integrity and love. You'll love it or hate it but will not escape the power of Carroll Pickett's experience.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very thought-provoking, August 29, 2002

By	J. Gault "Thejbyrd3" (Ashland, OH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Within These Walls: Memoirs of a Death House Chaplain (Hardcover)

If you had asked me 6 months ago how I felt about the death penalty, I would have said I was in favor of it. I still believe there are crimes which are so heinous that the death penalty should be used. However, I am troubled that there seems to be no uniform criteria which dictate when it is used. Also, I think we need to ask ourselves whether taking a life, to avenge a life, is truly the answer. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever been troubled with how violent crime is punished in America today.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The real cost of the death penalty, June 14, 2002

By	Steve Hall (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Within These Walls: Memoirs of a Death House Chaplain (Hardcover)

Carroll Pickett once supported the death penalty, and this book details a gradual transformation. Within These Walls gives readers a vivid look at the real cost of the death penalty; the impact it has on the people who must carry out society's ultimate punishment.

Anyone who wants a more accurate picture of the reality of capital punishment will benefit from this moving account.