Stories
Each oral history interview in our archive contains dozens of stories. Explore them here, filtering by topic and collection.
301 stories released to date
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Reflecting on conditions and finding hope in life while in the condemned unitStanley Howard -
Realizing the likelihood of execution following changes in death penalty enforcementStanley Howard
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Efforts to gain media coverage and tell his story from death rowRenaldo Hudson
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Mentorship and community support on death rowRenaldo Hudson
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Managing tensions with stakeholders while advocating for a death penalty movement led by death row inmates and their familiesAlice Kim
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Support and impact of the mothers of the movement for death row inmatesRenaldo Hudson
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Discussing the legal and ethical implications of Murray Hooper’s death sentence in different statesRenaldo Hudson
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Coping with the uncertainty and psychological strain of living on death rowRonald Kitchen
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Joining and leading the Death Row Ten group while facing internal challenges and advocating externallyStanley Howard
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Organizing inside-outside strategies with the Campaign to End the Death Penalty and Live from Death Row eventsAlice Kim
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Recalling the moment of being sentenced to death and its immediate impactRenaldo Hudson
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Philosophy and approach of the Campaign to End the Death PenaltyAlice Kim
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Forming unlikely alliances and advocating for reconciliation and accountabilityRenaldo Hudson
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Advice for young people working toward abolition of the death penaltyRenaldo Hudson
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Jesse Jackson’s impactful visit and involvement in the death penalty abolition movementAlice Kim
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Advice for young activists in death penalty states and the importance of acknowledging losses and building relationshipsAlice Kim
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Learning about the governor's moratorium on executions and its impactRenaldo Hudson
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Personal experience as an innocent person on death row and reasons for opposing the death penaltyRonald Kitchen
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Adjusting to prison life and the shock of a life-altering sentenceStanley Howard
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Campaign efforts between Illinois moratorium on executions in 2000 and blanket clemencies in 2003Alice Kim
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Formation and impact of the Renaldo Hudson Mercy CommitteeRenaldo Hudson
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The surprising sense of community and unexpected kindness on death rowRenaldo Hudson
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Early visits to death row and the concept of solidarityAlice Kim
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Proposing restorative justice and community support systems instead of the death penaltyRenaldo Hudson
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The emotional and psychological hardships of being on death rowRenaldo Hudson
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Influence of family on community activism and personal developmentRonald Kitchen
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Coping with the execution of fellow death row inmates and the mission it inspiredRenaldo Hudson
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The importance of power mapping and respectful collaboration in advocacy workRenaldo Hudson
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Personal reflection on witnessing Ray Stewart's final moments before executionRenaldo Hudson
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Evolving friendship and advocacy against the death penalty with Bill RyanRenaldo Hudson
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Learning self-education, teaching criminal law on death row, and organizing activism against police tortureStanley Howard
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Advice for individuals advocating against the death penalty and fighting for justice from within the prison systemRonald Kitchen
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Coping with inmate executions and personal feelings of helplessnessRonald Kitchen
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Decision to drop legal appeals in favor of seeking executive clemencyRenaldo Hudson
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Facing the death penalty and reflections on trial and executionRonald Kitchen
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Feelings and actions after losing first appeals and discovering new evidenceStanley Howard
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Serving 17 years of life without parole and strategies leading to releaseRenaldo Hudson
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Personal impact and emotional toll of clemency hearings leading to mass commutationsRenaldo Hudson
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Experiencing the shift toward active executions on death row and its impactRenaldo Hudson
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First experience on death rowStanley Howard
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Systemic issues of police torture and cover-ups under Jon BurgeRonald Kitchen
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Formation and advocacy efforts of the Death Row TenRonald Kitchen
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Addressing the desire for retribution and the effectiveness of the death penalty in providing closureRenaldo Hudson
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The role of mock trials in forming the Death Row Ten and revealing systemic issuesRonald Kitchen
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Details of the appeals process and experiences with police and legal representation in a capital caseStanley Howard
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Conditions and factors leading to release from prison and early experiences post-releaseRenaldo Hudson
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Explanation of the term "double tap" in the context of prison executionsRonald Kitchen
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Governor Ryan's moratorium on the death penalty in IllinoisStanley Howard
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Mentorship and solidarity as learned from the interviewee's momRonald Kitchen
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Experience of police torture and coerced confessionRonald Kitchen
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Strategies for seeking education, pursuing empathy, and influencing penal system reformsRenaldo Hudson
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Realizing the extent of shared torture experiences among inmates and forming the Death Row Ten advocacy groupStanley Howard
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Arguments against the death penalty and the impact of death row advocacy in IllinoisAlice Kim
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Influence of key activists in the death penalty abolition movementStanley Howard
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Finding hope and inspiration during years of incarcerationRenaldo Hudson
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Allegations of judicial bias and misconduct during trialStanley Howard
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Adjusting to prison life and finding roles to avoid troubleBleu Inkk Watkins
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Being passed over for a death row pardon and the resulting frustrationRonald Kitchen
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Facing unjust convictions and navigating the flawed judicial processStanley Howard
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Death Row Ten experiences and organization in various prison locationsStanley Howard
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Learning the importance of working with directly affected individuals through prior experiences with women living with HIVAlice Kim
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Reflecting on Murray Hooper’s background and execution in ArizonaRenaldo Hudson
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Bittersweet emotions surrounding the pardon and commutations of Death Row inmatesAlice Kim
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Opposition to the death penalty and its inconsistency within U.S. states compared to international normsStanley Howard
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Creating and distributing a protest flyer about the Death Row Ten and the challenges faced in doing soStanley Howard
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Key moments in the abolition movement in Illinois that inspired hopeStanley Howard
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Impact of education and love on personal transformation while on death rowRenaldo Hudson
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Describing the trial and conviction process leading to death rowStanley Howard
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Reading a poem inspired by Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" while on death rowStanley Howard
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Leading the death penalty project and personal growth experiencesRenaldo Hudson
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Experiences and emotions surrounding executions on death rowStanley Howard
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Mixed emotions upon commutation from death to life without parole, reflecting on personal expectations and subsequent effortsRenaldo Hudson
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