Summary

Between 2013 and 2016, Project 39A, criminal justice research, and litigation center based out of National Law University, Delhi, India, conducted interviews with death-row prisoners and their families. These interviews highlighted many things – the social-economic profile of death-row prisoners and their interaction with the criminal justice system.

More importantly, it brought forth the personal stories of real people.

The book has 19 stories. The criminals include rapists, murderers, bandits from gangs, mentally disturbed people who killed their families. They include men and women.

My review

A common theme I found across the book was that all these criminal were

1. From financially underprivileged backgrounds
2. All of them denied having any knowledge of their trials, as the trials were conducted in English and they did not understand the language. A woman who understood it was ill-informed by her husband and lawyer that she was given the life sentence. She learned on TV that she was given the death penalty.
3. All of them (except one of the criminals) denied having committed the crime and believed they had been framed.
4. Anger, uncontrolled and limitless anger, is the culprit behind most (85%) of the crimes.

The sad truth that stands out from this book is, I think, the disappointing state of the judicial system. I know I mustn’t believe the words of heinous criminals. But there cannot be smoke without a fire somewhere.

Through this book, the author wants to remind the readers of the commonalities between them and the convicts as human beings.

The illustration before every story give a glimpse into what is to come. They have been created by Aparajita Ninan. 

Final Verdict

IMHO the book is a good attempt at introducing us to a much-despised and demonized part of the society we live in.

But it lacks the punch to create an impact on the readers.  It feels incomplete. 3 stars. 

Who Should Read This