The Golden Strawberry

I have just finished reading The Innocent Man by John Grisham. I would urge everybody to read it. It is a fascinating insight into how the American judicial system can go so horribly wrong. I do not want to talk about the book here, but for those eager to know the story, the basic outline is here. I want to encourage everybody to read it. Having finished it, I have a small lump in my throat which makes me thankful we do not have the death penalty in Britain. Obviously the book does not tell the other side of the story, that of the police officer, something that would make for interesting reading.

I contrast it to two television programmes I recently watched. The first, Louis Theroux: Behind Bars was a great programme examining life in jail and how some prisoners are full of remorse for their crimes, others are not. The second programme, How to Kill a Human Being presented by Michael Portillo was a gory way of indicating further how wrong the penalty is. I maintain that there is no humane of killing somebody, it seems to be a contradiction in terms, humanely taking away one of the basic rights anybody can have, that to life.

Can the death penalty be right? Having watched the latter and read Grisham's book I strongly feel no. But there is this nagging feeling in my head that raised its head during Theroux's programme. If the prisoners are feeling no remorse for their crimes, what good is their being in prison? As one prisoner said, they do not pay taxes, they do not need to find a job, or housing. They get all their meals provided to them, and they get exercise and light. They do not have a care in the world, other than being stuck behind bars. Is this a punishment? I do not know.


I want to point your attention to this website too. Just look at it. Think about it. And then re-evaluate your position on the death penalty, indeed, the judicial system as a whole too.

Luke