Death Row Welcomes You (by Steven Hale)
I learned about this book, Death Row Welcomes You, by Steven Hale, through my local independent bookseller, Joseph-Beth, in Lexington, Kentucky. I receive Joseph-Beth’s weekly email, which includes a calendar of upcoming author events. When I saw the title of this book and the upcoming event pertaining to it, I knew then and there that I would attend. I blogged about my experience at the author event, which you can read here.
Author, Steven Hale, is a journalist who accepted an unusual invitation to witness an execution by the state of Tennessee. Unbeknownst to him, this decision opened his mind and heart to another world from which most of us are shielded. In 2018, the state of Tennessee began executing death row inmates for the first time in 10 years. In less than two years, the state executed seven men. It was as though they were in a competition with the state of Texas. The COVID pandemic was the only thing to stop executions.
Steven encountered a man, David, who visited death row inmates weekly at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. David also thoughtfully invited other citizens, mostly from his church, to visit these condemned men. Steven began regular visits and phone calls with a man named Terry. Steven writes about all the facets of being involved with this community. He objectively writes about the crimes these men have committed. Yes, their crimes are horrific and tragic, which can make for some heavy reading. He writes about who these men have become during their 20 or 30 years on death row. Steven speaks with a few of the victims’ family members. He captures the humanity of the visitors, who have been entering death row's visitation for multiple years.
Eloquently weaved throughout the book, Steven shares how his visits and the relationship he developed with Terry are meaningful and painful due to his status as a death row inmate—a friend who very well may be killed by the state of Tennessee. Steven says little about the personal impact from witnessing these executions. I can only imagine it was traumatic, and I can’t help but wonder what the experience was like for him. I would probably need therapy for the rest of my life.
Death Row Welcomes You: Visiting Hours in the Shadow of the Execution Chamber is an excellent book. This is exactly the type of book that fueled my interest and subsequently guided my passion to build a career working with inmates. Like I mentioned, Steven objectively tells the story of each inmate's crime from the inmate's account, including any discrepancies compared to the original reports. As these men are facing execution, they don’t have anything to hide or reason to lie. They readily accept their responsibility with regret. Only one man claims his innocence, and he has done so since the day he was arrested.
Our criminal justice system fails to consider any facts about a defendant outside their crime. People are harshly judged by the worst act or acts they committed. Don’t get me wrong; I believe people deserve to be punished for their crimes, and victims deserve justice. I don’t believe it’s right to execute human beings. When I read the horrific crimes described in this book, I wholeheartedly support punishment and have compassion for the victims and their families. When I read about the conditions of the inmates’ tragic upbringings filled with unspeakable abuse and drug use, I felt compassion for them too. In this book, Steven sheds light on the personal growth of these death row inmates and how they have changed during their incarceration. My heart strings were being pulled in so many directions.
From an early age, I have been fascinated by true-crime stories. I began wondering why people behave the way they do. This curiosity led me to study psychology in college. I began volunteering and working with various populations—mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, and juveniles in detention—to find my purpose. I learned so much about the conditions and cognitions that led people on the path of self-destruction. Furthermore, I wanted to understand humans and offer lifestyle alternatives with compassion.
My search led me to a more than 22-year career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons as a therapist in a residential drug treatment program. My experience is evidence that people can change. Every day, I work with people who have made unthinkable decisions and victimized countless others. I have watched them transform themselves and become different people within a 10-month period. Some inmates I work with come from tragically unhealthy upbringings and challenging environments, and I learn they are capable of making better decisions. They, too, have been the victim and the victimizer. They learn to stop blaming their childhood on the decisions they made as adults. Likewise, they take responsibility for their actions and learn how to change their engrained criminality. Don’t get me wrong; I have worked with true psychopaths. They are the exception to the majority of the people I work with.
When I learned of this book and author event, I was committed to retiring from the prison system in the latter part of 2024 and ready to start the application process. Knowing this book would speak to my passion, I immediately began to question my decision. It sounds crazy, but I love working in this environment and being a guide for change for those who want it. I always thought I would work in the prison system until they forced me out. When I was nearing eligibility, I learned it was the best option to go ahead and retire. A huge driving force is being able to spend more time with the people I love and doing the other things I love. I am grateful that this agency has afforded me the opportunity to retire much earlier than a typical retirement. Overall, this has been a bittersweet decision. I have loved my career and am grateful for the insight and understanding working with these incarcerated individuals has taught me.
Steven got it right with this book, in more ways than one. I hope it inspires others to be a vehicle for change and compassion. Steven’s writing goes along with other authors, Bryan Stevenson and David R. Dow, who have inspired me over the years regarding the death penalty. I appreciate the timing of this book. It’s been therapeutic as I am closing a very large chapter in my life.
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