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Life After Murder: Five Men in Search of Redemption
Once a murderer, always a murderer? Or can a murderer be redeemed? Who do they really become after they have served decades in prison? What does it take for a killer to be accepted back into society? What is the chance that he will kill again?
Award-winning journalist Nancy Mullane found herself facing these questions when she accepted an assignment to report on the exploding costs of incarceration. But the men she met behind the walls astonished her with their remorse, introspection, determination, and unshakable hope for freedom and forgiveness.
Life After Murder is an intimately reported, utterly compelling story of five convicted murderers sentenced to life with the possibility of parole, who discover after decades in prison that their second chance, if it comes at all, is also the challenge of a lifetime. It follows their struggle for redemption, their legal battles to make good on the state's promise of parole, and the lives they found after so many years inside.
Award-winning journalist Nancy Mullane found herself facing these questions when she accepted an assignment to report on the exploding costs of incarceration. But the men she met behind the walls astonished her with their remorse, introspection, determination, and unshakable hope for freedom and forgiveness.
Life After Murder is an intimately reported, utterly compelling story of five convicted murderers sentenced to life with the possibility of parole, who discover after decades in prison that their second chance, if it comes at all, is also the challenge of a lifetime. It follows their struggle for redemption, their legal battles to make good on the state's promise of parole, and the lives they found after so many years inside.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published June 22, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
December 4, 2014
I began reading this book with trepidation. I hated “digesting” the stupid, senseless acts that had landed these five guys in prison for life with possibility of parole. Most were murders committed during the course of another crime (e.g., a home invasion robbery, fleeing from a convenience store robbery, etc.). One was particularly brutal (kicking a guy in the head who’d already been robbed and was lying on the ground bleeding). In only one of the five cases could I sort of understand the guy’s motivation and feel somewhat forgiving (he was chasing after his wife’s drug dealer who, along with her, had stolen the man’s car—this after he’d moved, changed jobs, etc. to try and get her clean).
But by the end of the book, I felt grudging respect for these men, along with an equal measure of empathy. They had come so far, and gone through so much, both in prison and out. Each exhibited a work ethic, a capacity for introspection, a belief in God, a desire to seize each moment of what life has to offer. Each wanted to help others avoid the mistakes they had made, and were willing to lay bare to the world who they are and what they’d done in order to accomplish this. And they exhibited these traits irrespective of race or the economic circumstances in which they found themselves following a hard-won release. I have to say, these guys displayed more character, grit and determination than many of the fools we encounter in our everyday lives, and probably have more to offer the world. Precisely because of the crimes they had committed and the decades spent in prison pondering what they had done, they had a deeper, clearer understanding of life’s preciousness along with a longing to make the most of it. Corny as it sounds, I felt honored to be given this glimpse into their lives, and to get to know them in this small way.
As you might imagine, in most cases employment is a huge challenge following release from prison. I believe this is the reason so many parolees commit new crimes—it is nearly impossible to find legitimate employment if you have a prison record. Two of these guys were lucky enough to have maintained long-standing contacts on the outside, or to have family members who could offer a job. Another one or two had girlfriends to pick up the slack. In a couple of cases, the men eventually started their own businesses after finding it impossible to find or maintain employment. In a couple of others, they worked with at-risk youth, sometimes carpooling 100 miles to far-flung locales. But in every single case, there was no loitering or daytime television; hands and feet were in constant motion—painting, gardening, repairing, building, etc., whether for pay or not.
This is not to say that all murderers can be rehabilitated. The real question posed by this book is, if a murderer demonstrates that he has completely turned his life around, should he be let out after serving the determinate part of his sentence? Or should he live out his remaining years behind bars? Unbeknownst to me, the governor has the final say on this matter, and after the Willie Horton case in Massachusetts (the one that derailed Michael Dukakis’ chances for the presidency in 1988), there is no political “upside” to a governor paroling a prisoner, even after the parole board has recommended a prisoner for release. If the original sentence allows for the possibility of parole, and a prisoner has demonstrated to an extremely exacting parole board that he has met the requirements for release, it seems to me unconstitutional for a governor to have the right to second-guess both the original jury and the parole board. I also think it is cruel and inhuman to find a lifer eligible for parole after he’s served, say, a 25-year sentence, then make him wait another 150 days only to take that away, and to repeat this nearly futile process every few years, over and over again. If you’re going to keep a guy in jail for life, then sentence him to life without the possibility of parole in the first place. To create false hope time and again is plain rotten and has no bearing on the original crime or its punishment.
As for the underlying issue of whether to parole or not: On the one hand, these men killed people. Their victims don't get a second chance after 15 or 20 or 25 years. The families and friends of the deceased don’t get another chance, either—their loved one is gone forever. Is it not fair that the person responsible for taking a human life pay a commensurate price? But on the other hand—and this is where it gets tricky—if a certain proportion of convicted killers have turned themselves around to where they probably have more to offer society than your average joe in the way of wisdom, compassion, and a desire to serve and contribute, are we really better off housing them in prison for the rest of their natural lives (to the tune of $50,000 to $100,000 of yearly taxpayer dollars), or trying to re-integrate them into society? This is a moral question I think we must ask ourselves. To me, it boils down to whether, as a society, we want to be forgiving or retributive.
On a more mundane note, I gave this book three stars because the writing was mostly dry and there were too many extraneous parts that could have been cut. For those reasons, I found it to be a tough read, but I hung in there to get to the crux of these important issues regarding incarceration, and because I came to feel a connection to these men and wanted to see how their stories turned out. Nancy Mullane eventually gets her point across, and by the end of the book got me to the point where I felt the same kinship to these five men as she did. For that reason, I would say it is a worthwhile read.
But by the end of the book, I felt grudging respect for these men, along with an equal measure of empathy. They had come so far, and gone through so much, both in prison and out. Each exhibited a work ethic, a capacity for introspection, a belief in God, a desire to seize each moment of what life has to offer. Each wanted to help others avoid the mistakes they had made, and were willing to lay bare to the world who they are and what they’d done in order to accomplish this. And they exhibited these traits irrespective of race or the economic circumstances in which they found themselves following a hard-won release. I have to say, these guys displayed more character, grit and determination than many of the fools we encounter in our everyday lives, and probably have more to offer the world. Precisely because of the crimes they had committed and the decades spent in prison pondering what they had done, they had a deeper, clearer understanding of life’s preciousness along with a longing to make the most of it. Corny as it sounds, I felt honored to be given this glimpse into their lives, and to get to know them in this small way.
As you might imagine, in most cases employment is a huge challenge following release from prison. I believe this is the reason so many parolees commit new crimes—it is nearly impossible to find legitimate employment if you have a prison record. Two of these guys were lucky enough to have maintained long-standing contacts on the outside, or to have family members who could offer a job. Another one or two had girlfriends to pick up the slack. In a couple of cases, the men eventually started their own businesses after finding it impossible to find or maintain employment. In a couple of others, they worked with at-risk youth, sometimes carpooling 100 miles to far-flung locales. But in every single case, there was no loitering or daytime television; hands and feet were in constant motion—painting, gardening, repairing, building, etc., whether for pay or not.
This is not to say that all murderers can be rehabilitated. The real question posed by this book is, if a murderer demonstrates that he has completely turned his life around, should he be let out after serving the determinate part of his sentence? Or should he live out his remaining years behind bars? Unbeknownst to me, the governor has the final say on this matter, and after the Willie Horton case in Massachusetts (the one that derailed Michael Dukakis’ chances for the presidency in 1988), there is no political “upside” to a governor paroling a prisoner, even after the parole board has recommended a prisoner for release. If the original sentence allows for the possibility of parole, and a prisoner has demonstrated to an extremely exacting parole board that he has met the requirements for release, it seems to me unconstitutional for a governor to have the right to second-guess both the original jury and the parole board. I also think it is cruel and inhuman to find a lifer eligible for parole after he’s served, say, a 25-year sentence, then make him wait another 150 days only to take that away, and to repeat this nearly futile process every few years, over and over again. If you’re going to keep a guy in jail for life, then sentence him to life without the possibility of parole in the first place. To create false hope time and again is plain rotten and has no bearing on the original crime or its punishment.
As for the underlying issue of whether to parole or not: On the one hand, these men killed people. Their victims don't get a second chance after 15 or 20 or 25 years. The families and friends of the deceased don’t get another chance, either—their loved one is gone forever. Is it not fair that the person responsible for taking a human life pay a commensurate price? But on the other hand—and this is where it gets tricky—if a certain proportion of convicted killers have turned themselves around to where they probably have more to offer society than your average joe in the way of wisdom, compassion, and a desire to serve and contribute, are we really better off housing them in prison for the rest of their natural lives (to the tune of $50,000 to $100,000 of yearly taxpayer dollars), or trying to re-integrate them into society? This is a moral question I think we must ask ourselves. To me, it boils down to whether, as a society, we want to be forgiving or retributive.
On a more mundane note, I gave this book three stars because the writing was mostly dry and there were too many extraneous parts that could have been cut. For those reasons, I found it to be a tough read, but I hung in there to get to the crux of these important issues regarding incarceration, and because I came to feel a connection to these men and wanted to see how their stories turned out. Nancy Mullane eventually gets her point across, and by the end of the book got me to the point where I felt the same kinship to these five men as she did. For that reason, I would say it is a worthwhile read.
April 19, 2018
While I found this book very illuminating in terms of the history of the California justice system, parole, and incarceration in general, I had a hard time with the author's personal writing style. I don't mean to be dismissive, but it felt less like journalism and more like Reader's Digest or Good Housekeeping. Just like... someone's very white aunt getting dropped into San Quentin and wringing her hands about it. It got really tiresome to hear her ruminate over and over again about the fact that she was actually in the presence of (gasp) MURDERERS! We pretty much get used to these men as real human beings who made mistakes and are atoning for them straight off the bat, but she really harps on this anxiety over being in the presence of criminals even when she concludes that she's been lifted out of her ignorance by her experience. Plus I lost all respect for her journalism when she explained that O.G. is a prison nickname that means "old gangster"-- good gracious, I'm not exactly from the streets or whatever, but literally anyone who has listened to like half a rap song knows OG means original gangster. Just... seriously. C'mon. At least someone do an urban dictionary cross reference, guys.
That aside, I learned a lot about the broken system of parole and I really appreciated getting to know these men and their experiences, which allowed us to see them as people instead of just criminals.
That aside, I learned a lot about the broken system of parole and I really appreciated getting to know these men and their experiences, which allowed us to see them as people instead of just criminals.
October 19, 2012
The author, a journalist, interviews and follows the stories of 5 lifers from San Quentin prison outside of San Francisco, learning about the murders they committed, their history, circumstances, and how they turn their lives around, hoping to be paroled, by staying clean in prison, taking classes and therapy, and even becoming counselors themselves. No matter how much they've changed and regretted what happened, (usually horrid moments of often drug induced actions that go wrong so quickly), everything is stacked against them. The parole boards are usually decent but governors in California can turn down parole board suggestions and 85% or more of the time do, making parolees have to wait many years more to rejoin society. Once they get out, they find that very few employees are willing to give ex-murders jobs, their parents have either grown considerable older or have died in the meantime, and keeping relationships is difficult.
I found reading about these 5 men, their families, other lifers still in prison and all the people that work with them, absolutely fascinating.
I found reading about these 5 men, their families, other lifers still in prison and all the people that work with them, absolutely fascinating.
December 1, 2016
Unbelievably moving
I want to do art therapy with prisoners. I am currently an art therapy grad student. This book was absolutely wonderful. So touching and so motivating. This book perfectly illustrates WHY we need reform programs and rehab options and job opportunities. It's also sad at the same time, so hear about the laws that don't work in favor for the prisoners now and to know they're still in effect in 2016 for the most part. I am hoping to change that. I want nothing more than to help push the reform programs in the prison. These people are human! Amazing. Nancy, I hope you see this. I think this is wonderful. Thank you for doing what you did and putting your fear aside. You are so brave and you have inspired countless numbers of people through this book. Thank you!!!!!
I want to do art therapy with prisoners. I am currently an art therapy grad student. This book was absolutely wonderful. So touching and so motivating. This book perfectly illustrates WHY we need reform programs and rehab options and job opportunities. It's also sad at the same time, so hear about the laws that don't work in favor for the prisoners now and to know they're still in effect in 2016 for the most part. I am hoping to change that. I want nothing more than to help push the reform programs in the prison. These people are human! Amazing. Nancy, I hope you see this. I think this is wonderful. Thank you for doing what you did and putting your fear aside. You are so brave and you have inspired countless numbers of people through this book. Thank you!!!!!
December 29, 2012
An incredible piece of work. Mullane breaks down the California penal system (or, at least, the small segment that she's looking at) in an accessible way: I'm not usually any good with legal jargon, but I followed everything throughout this book. While I'm sure there was some bias (Mullane admits to the subjects of her study becoming friends over time), none of it felt too overt or obstructive. I actually got to meet the author, very briefly, at an NCIBA gathering last spring and she expressed a very genuine passion about her work - I wish I could have spoken to her longer. And that passion really shines through in "Life After Murder." It's a really admirable piece of journalism, on a fascinating subject.
July 20, 2017
The book reveals a side of prisoners (lifers) that society generally misunderstands or never bother to understand. Which is not all murderers are psychopathic, but are people who make mistakes, make wrong decisions that they might not meant in a spur of the moment.
Well, it happened to them, and we could all learn from their stories and how they became a better person during their incarceration. There are many morals that one can catch from the book, and for me my biggest takeaway is not to look at people or events just on the surface. Try to feel, explore, and understand deeper.
Well, it happened to them, and we could all learn from their stories and how they became a better person during their incarceration. There are many morals that one can catch from the book, and for me my biggest takeaway is not to look at people or events just on the surface. Try to feel, explore, and understand deeper.
July 3, 2013
A really, really interesting book about incarceration. It follows men convicted of murder (true stories; this is nonfiction) in California and makes clear the randomness of who is convicted, who receives parole, how few supports we have for these people, some of whom could become productive members of our community. Definitely food for thought and a good conversation!
September 10, 2012
This book really made me think. It even prompted a heated debate between my husband and me. I think it would be great for a book club. I had a very difficult time putting it down and finished it in one day. I've thought about the five life stories of these men all day. Highly recommended!
October 31, 2012
I really liked this book. I feel inspired to learn more about the rehabilitation programs offered in prisons across the country. These people can be rehabilitated, but they must have programs to help them. Alright, I'm ranting. Nancy Mullane opened my eyes wide to this fascinating subject.
November 1, 2012
This was super interesting to read. This is about California's punishment system for murderers. I would think that with all the very smart people in the world, that some of the problems she identifies would be easily solved.
December 1, 2014
Well worth the read, very thoughtful writing. Personal look through inmates, parolees and loved ones at prison life, getting out, and being rehabilitated. Eye opening to issues with California's CDC and laws around incarceration both for victims and inmates.
May 14, 2014
It is a book that needed to be written. I learned a lot about prison, the parole process, and the capriciousness of release.
September 25, 2013
This book challenged my beliefs on what a murder is and how they should be punished. I'm not a reformed Capital Punishment supporter, but I'm open to the possibility that some can be reformed.
September 15, 2012
fascinating, riveting, and utterly compelling. i don't think it's really complete without the input of the victims/families left behind.
June 20, 2014
Ultimate respect for the author & each one of these men.
May 31, 2013
This book may change how you look at someone who commits a terrible crime. It definitely gives you something to think about.
July 31, 2013
Such an incredible insight into the world of those who have taken lives and have paid a debt to society. Getting out is oftentimes harder than living in...
October 21, 2013
Excellent book. Follows 5 inmates serving life sentences for murder. Follows their efforts after 20 years plus to get paroled. Heart-renching personal stories.
July 26, 2014
Definitely made me rethink the way we sentence criminals.
November 14, 2015
Excellent book. Very informative on the California correctional system and parole issues for those sentenced to life with the possibility of parole.
December 25, 2022
Not particularly well-written, but the content of this book is something absolutely unique and worth reading.
May 20, 2018
This book had an interesting view on lifers in California. Something that I was not educated on and learned a lot about.
There is a lot of stigma and conceptions with jails and the people in jail but Nancy provides a perspective that makes you empathize and feel for these men.
In the end the book was easy to read, although at the beginning confusing on who did what, and what their stories were as they jumped so much.
There is a lot of stigma and conceptions with jails and the people in jail but Nancy provides a perspective that makes you empathize and feel for these men.
In the end the book was easy to read, although at the beginning confusing on who did what, and what their stories were as they jumped so much.
January 24, 2018
Absolutely fascinating. Our criminal justice system is so broken. This book focuses exclusively on California (there's a paragraph or two about Maryland at the end of the book) - I wish I knew what was going on in my own state.
March 27, 2017
very interesting in the beginning. Got bored of it very quickly. didn't finish.
January 6, 2018
my dates read is not allowing me to enter the info. I read this Jan 1 2018 thru Jan 4, 2018
May 1, 2018
Good read. Whatever your stance on crime and criminals and punishment, it brings to light real shortcomings in our systems.
January 1, 2020
Very interesting. Hard to hear how difficult it is for people coming out of prison. At the same time, would I react differently? Probably the same as the author.
December 25, 2020
Very good book
March 2, 2016
"Life After Murder: Five Men in Search of Redemption" is the true account of journalist Nancy Mullane's four year journey through the California justice system and it's treatment of society's "most dangerous" criminals- those who have been arrested for murder.
Due to various changes to California legislation (which the author does a great job of archiving and explaining), those who are convicted of homicide face a sentence ending with the word "to life", which basically means an indeterminate sentence. After an established period of time, the "lifer" may start their parole process: first, they must meet with the prison parole board to establish suitability. Here, they will need to show their rehabilitation efforts: education and courses completed during their sentence, behaviour records, an understanding of their actions, etc. If deemed suitable, the case will then be sent to another trained parole board who will have 120 days to further investigate: follow up with references, where the person will be living, employment, etc. After demonstrating to 2 qualified boards of professionals that they are ready to be released to society, the potential parolee will then likely have his parole rejected by the governor- an elected official serving a political agenda. If this sounds like it violates many rights, that is because, as Nancy Mullane effectively argues, it does.
Throughout the book, Mullane follows the stories of 5 men, starting from the beginning of their parole process and chronicling their journey for years after parole. Richie, the first man in this story, was convicted of homicide after a fight in which he participated in resulted in the death of another man. In the second case, Eddie was convicted of homicide after committing robbery while intoxicated; his drunk driving accident after the robbery killed one of his passengers. Don, who actually wins parole through the legal system, commits murder during a robbery, as does Jesse. Finally, in the fifth case, Philip shoots his wife's drug dealer/boyfriend.
In each case, Mullane does a very good job of showing the sociological factors that surrounded each of the men prior to committing their crime. All of them struggled with drugs, were from rough neighbourhoods and had friends/family members who were also involved in crimes. In a few cases, the drug and alcohol dependency that influenced their crimes were generational issues that continued to plague their families after release.
While this book is engrossing and challenges readers to re-evaluate their beliefs on this complex moral issue, its one sided-ness ends up taking away from the overall message. While the author mentions early on that the families of the victims did not want to participate, the lack of victim impact in this book makes it easy to forget that, as sorry as these men may be, there are still 5 people who were killed. While reading Don's legal battle, I found myself engrossed in the authors' narration and hoping for his release- had the victims had more of a focus, I may have found myself feeling differently.
Overall, while the author tells a captivating and well-researched story, the inherent bias towards the parolees does slightly take away from the overall message. However, it is still a great read and recommended for anyone who enjoys reading true crime/non fiction.
Due to various changes to California legislation (which the author does a great job of archiving and explaining), those who are convicted of homicide face a sentence ending with the word "to life", which basically means an indeterminate sentence. After an established period of time, the "lifer" may start their parole process: first, they must meet with the prison parole board to establish suitability. Here, they will need to show their rehabilitation efforts: education and courses completed during their sentence, behaviour records, an understanding of their actions, etc. If deemed suitable, the case will then be sent to another trained parole board who will have 120 days to further investigate: follow up with references, where the person will be living, employment, etc. After demonstrating to 2 qualified boards of professionals that they are ready to be released to society, the potential parolee will then likely have his parole rejected by the governor- an elected official serving a political agenda. If this sounds like it violates many rights, that is because, as Nancy Mullane effectively argues, it does.
Throughout the book, Mullane follows the stories of 5 men, starting from the beginning of their parole process and chronicling their journey for years after parole. Richie, the first man in this story, was convicted of homicide after a fight in which he participated in resulted in the death of another man. In the second case, Eddie was convicted of homicide after committing robbery while intoxicated; his drunk driving accident after the robbery killed one of his passengers. Don, who actually wins parole through the legal system, commits murder during a robbery, as does Jesse. Finally, in the fifth case, Philip shoots his wife's drug dealer/boyfriend.
In each case, Mullane does a very good job of showing the sociological factors that surrounded each of the men prior to committing their crime. All of them struggled with drugs, were from rough neighbourhoods and had friends/family members who were also involved in crimes. In a few cases, the drug and alcohol dependency that influenced their crimes were generational issues that continued to plague their families after release.
While this book is engrossing and challenges readers to re-evaluate their beliefs on this complex moral issue, its one sided-ness ends up taking away from the overall message. While the author mentions early on that the families of the victims did not want to participate, the lack of victim impact in this book makes it easy to forget that, as sorry as these men may be, there are still 5 people who were killed. While reading Don's legal battle, I found myself engrossed in the authors' narration and hoping for his release- had the victims had more of a focus, I may have found myself feeling differently.
Overall, while the author tells a captivating and well-researched story, the inherent bias towards the parolees does slightly take away from the overall message. However, it is still a great read and recommended for anyone who enjoys reading true crime/non fiction.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews