Book reviews

Life After Murder: Five Men in Search of Redemption by Nancy Mullane

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Mullane explores the California prison system by looking at the lives of five men, all convicted of murder. During the course of the time Mullane begins her project, the five men are paroled or released through actions of the judicial system. The book is one part, what happens to the men in prison, the second is, what happens once the men are released. Through these stories, Mullane also takes aim at California laws, which in an effort to get tough on crime basically added the words "to life" after every sentence when found guilty of a serious crime. A conviction for 2nd degree murder went from something like "15-30 years", to "15- to life." This change had implications for the parole board and political implications for the governors, none of whom wanted to release someone who would kill again.

This criticism of the judicial and penal system is the most important part of the book though at times it is downplayed. The other important criticism is Mullane's observation that the State of California pays approximately $50,000 per year to keep someone in prison. At the same time the State offers little to no monies to aid those who just were released from prison, in many cases dooming the freed man to almost certain failure.
Through these stories Mullane reminds us that American prisons have for the most part become places for punishment and retribution. They are places where rehabilitation takes place only through the efforts of the men in prison, and the dedicated volunteers who enter the prison on a regular basis.

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