''In This Timeless Time: Living and Dying on Death Row in America'' is a 2012 book by Bruce Jackson and Diana Christian, published by the

University of North Carolina Press The University of North Carolina Press (or UNC Press), founded in 1922, is a university press that is part of the University of North Carolina. It was the first university press founded in the Southern United States. It is a member of the A ...

Background

The authors are married to one another and Helicher had previously studied prisons for around 40 years.Helicher. They did not have formal work experience in criminology and history-related jobs.Tepperman. The title "timeless time" refers to a saying of how staying on

death row Death row, also known as condemned row, is a place in a prison that houses inmates awaiting execution after being convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution ( ...

feels like, as the prisoners are not aware of their ultimate fate.

The initial section is a memorial to executed prisoners, reflecting the authors' philosophy opposing the death penalty. The book has three sections. The first includes photographs of condemned inmates,Sandiford, p. 89 in the

Ellis Unit O. B. Ellis Unit (E1, previously Ellis I Unit) is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison located in unincorporated Walker County, Texas, north of Huntsville. The unit, with about of space, now houses up to 2,400 male prisoners.

Walker County, Texas Walker County is a county located in the east central section of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 76,400. Its county seat is Huntsville. Initially, Walker County was named for Robert J. Walker, a legislator fr ...

in 1979.Pike, p. 1061. Those inmates had been put to death. Alan G. Pike of

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of h ...

wrote that the death row living situation is "monotonous and oppressive". The book has a total of 113 black-and-white photographs, and twelve inmates were depicted. The second, "Words", discusses the legal processes, the outcomes, and daily lives of death row inmates. This section serves as the captions to the images of the first. The third, "Working", discusses the processes the authors used to get their research material, and ethics-based arguments regarding the death penalty. The book includes a DVD containing a 1979 documentary, ''

Death Row Death row, also known as condemned row, is a place in a prison that houses inmates awaiting execution after being convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution ( ...

'', including interviews of Ellis Unit capital punishment prisoners, made by the authors. Pike called it "exceptional".

Reception

Frances Sandiford, a former librarian of the

Green Haven Correctional Facility Green Haven Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison in New York. The prison is located in the Town of Beekman in Dutchess County. The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision lists the address as Route 216, ...

, wrote that the book was in a "direct, journalistic style, poignant and to the point." She indicated a highly positive review with a star symbol. Pike wrote that the book is "a uniquely powerful contribution" to the subject. Karl Helicher of ''

ForeWord A foreword is a (usually short) piece of writing, sometimes placed at the beginning of a book or other piece of literature. Typically written by someone other than the primary author of the work, it often tells of some interaction between the ...

'' wrote that the book "would benefit" persons interested in the American death penalty and the associated penal system. Alex Tepperman, a PhD student in history at the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

, concluded that the book "is a moving piece of photojournalism and a fitting argument against the death penalty". Tepperman believed the first part was the best but felt the second and third were not as good. ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' wrote that the book was "comprehensive" and "well-crafted".

References and notes

References

* * * *

Notes

External links

*
In This Timeless Time
' -