A Tragedy Reversed

Anthony Ray Hinton

I am reading a book entitled The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton, a man who spent 30 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. I can hardly imagine spending one day in prison, much less 30 years in solitary confinement.

Hinton grew up poor and black in rural Alabama. When he was 29 years old, he was convicted of two murders as a result of prejudice, incompetence, and injustice in Alabama's prison system. Racial bias pervaded his trial from his arrest to the jury to the judge. What helped him survive was the love of his mother, the faithfulness of a friend, and a strong religious faith.

What is most amazing about Hinton is his ability to forgive. Most people would have become hardened and angry about this travesty of justice. Yet this man was able to maintain his trust in God, his sense of humor, and his belief in the goodness of people. That kind of strength and courage is  remarkable after such an agonizing experience.

After numerous appeals, with the help of a lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, and the Equal Justice Initiative, Hinton was finally released in 2015. Since then he has been telling his story to audiences across the country. He also speaks on prison reform and the power of faith and forgiveness.

At the end of his book he lists the names of all those on death row in every state, 22 pages with three columns on each page. Statistically, one out of every ten men listed is innocent. It is shocking to read all those names. As Hinton reminds us, "The death penalty is broken, and you are either part of the death squad or you are hanging on the bars.