"Everyone must read this book. To read the compelling stories in these pages is to feel the birth pangs of the fundamental changes that must come. These voices bear witness that criminal justice in America has become a nation's crime unto itself. We must measure our national stature and moral standing not by stock markets or church steeples but by the grace and humanity of the institutions that rebuild broken lives. Right Here, Right Now is the place to start."
-- Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival and author of The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement
“Revelatory. Having spent twenty-five years advocating for comprehensive criminal justice reform and having spent time with many innocent people in maximum security prisons, I have often found more decency and compassion amongst the people inside the prison walls than without. These first-person stories serve to remind us of the humanity and common decency that we as a society all too often push aside in our rush to judgment and punishment.”
-- Jason Flom, host of the podcast Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom
"This powerful collection contains true stories from the dozens of men living on death row across the country. Some remembrances stretch back to childhood experiences of poverty and police misconduct, while other accounts pertain to life inside the carceral system, as the writers fight to hold on to their connections to the outside world. The events of 2020 underscored systematic inequality and the injustices of the justice system; here, these firsthand accounts form a moving, personal call to action."
-- Sarah Edwards IndyWeek
"Right Here, Right Now contains moving, first-person, anonymous accounts of men living on death row. . . . With the common refrain of death row being reserved for the worst of America’s criminals, Right Here, Right Now provokes uncomfortable questions about a judicial system that disproportionately incarcerates those who are 'descendants of enslaved peoples and other people of color, the vast majority poor, and too many mentally ill,' as articulated by acclaimed death row attorney Henderson Hill in the book’s foreword."
-- Thomasi McDonald Indy Week
"What is the worst thing you ever did? What drove you to do it? What would your life be like if you were defined only by that one thing? Those are some of the questions that came to mind as I read Right Here, Right Now: Life Stories from America’s Death Row, a collection of powerful and often wrenching first-person stories of more than 100 men sentenced to death. It’s an emotionally difficult read, but it’s more than worth the investment of time and heart."
-- Steven Petrow Washington Post
"Right Here, Right Now is much more than a death penalty critique. At its heart, the book is about the challenge that has always faced us humans: to see the beauty, dignity, and value in every single person, and to create a society around that. What would it mean to live in a culture that looks at convicted murderers and determinedly sees the humanity there? What would it take to become a society that genuinely serves the least among us before celebrating the achievers?"
-- Amanda Abrams Plough
"Poignant. . . . This volume packs a punch and gives a voice to those whose stories need to be fully heard. Libraries, especially those seeking to expand collections related to criminal justice and the politics surrounding issues of race and class, should purchase this title."
-- Mattie Cook Library Journal
“While there are different authors voicing their tales throughout, [Right Here, Right Now] reads as one strong voice. . . . This piece furthers our understanding of not only experiences when sentenced to death, but also the tenacity that a human can hold to still be able to grow, learn, and think deeply despite the conditions that they are living under."
-- AM Purdy Criminal Law and Criminal Justice
