An in depth and personal look into the lives of four people wrongfully imprisoned for crimes they didn't commit.
Through intimate portraits of four exonerated prisoners, journalist Alison Flowers explores what happens to innocent people after the state flings open the jailhouse door and tosses them back, empty-handed, into the unknown.
From the front lines of the wrongful conviction capital of the United StatesCook County, Illinoisinvestigative journalist Alison Flowers recounts profoundly human stories of reclaiming life, overcoming adversity, and searching for purpose after exoneration.
As she tells each exoneree's powerful story, Flowers vividly shows that release from prison, though sometimes joyous and hopeful, is not a Hollywood endingor an ending at all. Rather, an exoneree's first unshackled steps are the beginning of a new journey full of turmoil and uncertainty. Flowers also sheds new light on the collateral damage of wrongful convictions on families and communities, confronting deeper problems of mass incarceration and the criminal justice system.
From the front lines of the wrongful conviction capital of the United StatesCook County, Illinoisinvestigative journalist Alison Flowers recounts profoundly human stories of reclaiming life, overcoming adversity, and searching for purpose after exoneration.
As she tells each exoneree's powerful story, Flowers vividly shows that release from prison, though sometimes joyous and hopeful, is not a Hollywood endingor an ending at all. Rather, an exoneree's first unshackled steps are the beginning of a new journey full of turmoil and uncertainty. Flowers also sheds new light on the collateral damage of wrongful convictions on families and communities, confronting deeper problems of mass incarceration and the criminal justice system.
What People Are Saying
"Flowers, an investigative reporter based in Chicago, offers four vivid, in-depth ethnographic portraits of exonerated prisoners...Through these searing portraits, readers will witness the fissures in the criminal justice system and the damage they cause to the wrongfully convicted, their families, and their communities." Publishers Weekly
"Every now and then, a tiny crack of light shows through the dark, brutal realities of the US criminal justice system, and a falsely convicted victim walks free of the prison doors after spending decades behind them. But for these former prisoners, exoneration is not the end of the story. It is only the beginning. And Alison Flowers, in Exoneree Diaries, effectively provides the narrative of their lives." Foreword Reviews, "Book of the Day"
"No author has covered the years after exoneration with the same depth as Flowers does in this disturbing book. She ably shows that even under the best of circumstances, exonerees struggle with family relationships, job searches, recovery from prison-related health problems, adjustments to new technologies, and more. Exoneree Diaries is a thoroughly researched, provocative book of justice gone wrong." Kirkus Reviews
"After their triumphant releases, we rarely hear more about the people whose lives are interrupted by lengthy prison stays for crimes they did not commit... In [these] deeply personal accounts, [Flowers] gives readers a near-complete look at each exoneree’s life before, during, and after prison." South Side Weekly
"Having experienced the unending nightmare of being wrongfully convicted, and the mind-blowing trauma that hits like a tidal wave after release from prison, I can attest that Alison Flowers has nailed it - and then driven it home. This book will help anyone living with or experiencing profound trauma, and sometimes that's all we can ask for, to have a measure of understanding." Damien Echols, former "West Memphis Three" death row inmate and author of Life After Death
"Exoneree Diaries is an immersive and powerful journey through the depths of a violent system. These nuanced, vividly portrayed stories bring to life the heart-wrenching experience–and lingering effects–of having one's freedom stolen by the state. This is a beautifully written and urgently necessary book." Maya Schenwar, author of Locked Down, Lock Out: Why Prison Doesn't Work and How We Can Do Better
"Alison Flowers has written the definitive book on life after exoneration–beautifully rendered, achingly powerful stories capturing with nuance and depth the perilous leap of faith, hope and despair that actual freedom requires of the actually innocent. A rare story teller, indeed." Pam Cytrynbaum, Executive Director of Chicago Innocence Center
"Exoneree Diaries is a page-turner about the triumph of courage over Kafkaesque injustices that befell a woman and three men who were imprisoned a total of more than eighty years for crimes they did not commit. The stories of how they survived behind bars and coped with the unrelenting challenges of life after exoneration are at once tragic and uplifting—and unforgettable." Rob Warden, executive director emeritus of the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern School of Law
"Alison Flowers has written an important book – filled with vivid, unforgettable stories. Meticulously told through the perspectives of people who have been exonerated, you feel the stress of watching their tragedies unfold with an eye towards redemption. Their experiences will stay in your mind and heart long past when the last page is finished. There is no substitute for great reporting. These pages represent a measure of justice." Amy Bach, Executive Director of Measures for Justice and author of Ordinary Injustice: How America Holds Court
"Exoneree Diaries is a powerful, truthful and compelling read for anyone who is interested in the world of wrongful convictions. Alison Flowers has reached into the heart of these exonerees to share their joys, triumphs and sorrows. She is perhaps the first author to delineate the deep agony experienced by exonerees after their freedom has been won." Gloria Killian, exoneree and author of Full Circle: A True Story of Murder, Lies and Vindication
"Well-researched and written, Exoneree Diaries captures the essence of lives torn apart by wrongful convictions. The stories highlight the multiple failures in our system intended to deliver criminal justice and underscore the resulting human suffering. Kristine, Jacques, James, and Antione continue to move forward despite the wrongs, leaving the reader with multiple lessons in the human spirit’s will to endure." Frances Lee Watson, director of the Wrongful Conviction Clinic at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
“Sadly, most Americans have witnessed headlines, news stories, and dramatizations of failed justice finally corrected, but what happens after an innocent person, wrongly convicted and imprisoned, emerges into freedom following the cruel loss of family, reputation, career, resources, and liberty for years, even decades? In Exoneree Diaries journalist and author Alison Flowers tells the largely untold, fuller personal stories of exonerees. Kristine, Jacques, James, and Antione were all convicted of horrific crimes they did not commit, wrongfully imprisoned, and later released into a changed world. Exoneree Diaries is a compelling portrait of the many people impacted by flawed justice — the wrongly convicted and their families, victims and their families, and heroes compelled to invest years in unraveling stubborn miscarriages. Flowers provides a fascinating read with inspiring lessons in courage, hope, and endurance eventually rewarded in bittersweet victories. Because these four cases represent the much larger universe of the wrongly convicted, Exoneree Diaries is ultimately a powerful call to Americans to reform our criminal justice system.” Jim Petro and Nancy Petro, co-authors of False Justice — Eight Myths that Convict the Innocent
"Every now and then, a tiny crack of light shows through the dark, brutal realities of the US criminal justice system, and a falsely convicted victim walks free of the prison doors after spending decades behind them. But for these former prisoners, exoneration is not the end of the story. It is only the beginning. And Alison Flowers, in Exoneree Diaries, effectively provides the narrative of their lives." Foreword Reviews, "Book of the Day"
"No author has covered the years after exoneration with the same depth as Flowers does in this disturbing book. She ably shows that even under the best of circumstances, exonerees struggle with family relationships, job searches, recovery from prison-related health problems, adjustments to new technologies, and more. Exoneree Diaries is a thoroughly researched, provocative book of justice gone wrong." Kirkus Reviews
"After their triumphant releases, we rarely hear more about the people whose lives are interrupted by lengthy prison stays for crimes they did not commit... In [these] deeply personal accounts, [Flowers] gives readers a near-complete look at each exoneree’s life before, during, and after prison." South Side Weekly
"Having experienced the unending nightmare of being wrongfully convicted, and the mind-blowing trauma that hits like a tidal wave after release from prison, I can attest that Alison Flowers has nailed it - and then driven it home. This book will help anyone living with or experiencing profound trauma, and sometimes that's all we can ask for, to have a measure of understanding." Damien Echols, former "West Memphis Three" death row inmate and author of Life After Death
"Exoneree Diaries is an immersive and powerful journey through the depths of a violent system. These nuanced, vividly portrayed stories bring to life the heart-wrenching experience–and lingering effects–of having one's freedom stolen by the state. This is a beautifully written and urgently necessary book." Maya Schenwar, author of Locked Down, Lock Out: Why Prison Doesn't Work and How We Can Do Better
"Alison Flowers has written the definitive book on life after exoneration–beautifully rendered, achingly powerful stories capturing with nuance and depth the perilous leap of faith, hope and despair that actual freedom requires of the actually innocent. A rare story teller, indeed." Pam Cytrynbaum, Executive Director of Chicago Innocence Center
"Exoneree Diaries is a page-turner about the triumph of courage over Kafkaesque injustices that befell a woman and three men who were imprisoned a total of more than eighty years for crimes they did not commit. The stories of how they survived behind bars and coped with the unrelenting challenges of life after exoneration are at once tragic and uplifting—and unforgettable." Rob Warden, executive director emeritus of the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern School of Law
"Alison Flowers has written an important book – filled with vivid, unforgettable stories. Meticulously told through the perspectives of people who have been exonerated, you feel the stress of watching their tragedies unfold with an eye towards redemption. Their experiences will stay in your mind and heart long past when the last page is finished. There is no substitute for great reporting. These pages represent a measure of justice." Amy Bach, Executive Director of Measures for Justice and author of Ordinary Injustice: How America Holds Court
"Exoneree Diaries is a powerful, truthful and compelling read for anyone who is interested in the world of wrongful convictions. Alison Flowers has reached into the heart of these exonerees to share their joys, triumphs and sorrows. She is perhaps the first author to delineate the deep agony experienced by exonerees after their freedom has been won." Gloria Killian, exoneree and author of Full Circle: A True Story of Murder, Lies and Vindication
"Well-researched and written, Exoneree Diaries captures the essence of lives torn apart by wrongful convictions. The stories highlight the multiple failures in our system intended to deliver criminal justice and underscore the resulting human suffering. Kristine, Jacques, James, and Antione continue to move forward despite the wrongs, leaving the reader with multiple lessons in the human spirit’s will to endure." Frances Lee Watson, director of the Wrongful Conviction Clinic at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
“Sadly, most Americans have witnessed headlines, news stories, and dramatizations of failed justice finally corrected, but what happens after an innocent person, wrongly convicted and imprisoned, emerges into freedom following the cruel loss of family, reputation, career, resources, and liberty for years, even decades? In Exoneree Diaries journalist and author Alison Flowers tells the largely untold, fuller personal stories of exonerees. Kristine, Jacques, James, and Antione were all convicted of horrific crimes they did not commit, wrongfully imprisoned, and later released into a changed world. Exoneree Diaries is a compelling portrait of the many people impacted by flawed justice — the wrongly convicted and their families, victims and their families, and heroes compelled to invest years in unraveling stubborn miscarriages. Flowers provides a fascinating read with inspiring lessons in courage, hope, and endurance eventually rewarded in bittersweet victories. Because these four cases represent the much larger universe of the wrongly convicted, Exoneree Diaries is ultimately a powerful call to Americans to reform our criminal justice system.” Jim Petro and Nancy Petro, co-authors of False Justice — Eight Myths that Convict the Innocent
"Flowers, an investigative reporter based in Chicago, offers four vivid, in-depth ethnographic portraits of exonerated prisoners...Through these searing portraits, readers will witness the fissures in the criminal justice system and the damage they cause to the wrongfully convicted, their families, and their communities." Publishers Weekly
"Every now and then, a tiny crack of light shows through the dark, brutal realities of the US criminal justice system, and a falsely convicted victim walks free of the prison doors after spending decades behind them. But for these former prisoners, exoneration is not the end of the story. It is only the beginning. And Alison Flowers, in Exoneree Diaries, effectively provides the narrative of their lives." Foreword Reviews, "Book of the Day"
"No author has covered the years after exoneration with the same depth as Flowers does in this disturbing book. She ably shows that even under the best of circumstances, exonerees struggle with family relationships, job searches, recovery from prison-related health problems, adjustments to new technologies, and more. Exoneree Diaries is a thoroughly researched, provocative book of justice gone wrong."
Kirkus Reviews
"After their triumphant releases, we rarely hear more about the people whose lives are interrupted by lengthy prison stays for crimes they did not commit... In [these] deeply personal accounts, [Flowers] gives readers a near-complete look at each exoneree’s life before, during, and after prison."
South Side Weekly
"Having experienced the unending nightmare of being wrongfully convicted, and the mind-blowing trauma that hits like a tidal wave after release from prison, I can attest that Alison Flowers has nailed it - and then driven it home. This book will help anyone living with or experiencing profound trauma, and sometimes that's all we can ask for, to have a measure of understanding."
Damien Echols, former "West Memphis Three" death row inmate and author of Life After Death
"Exoneree Diaries is an immersive and powerful journey through the depths of a violent system. These nuanced, vividly portrayed stories bring to life the heart-wrenching experienceand lingering effectsof having one's freedom stolen by the state. This is a beautifully written and urgently necessary book."
Maya Schenwar, author of Locked Down, Lock Out: Why Prison Doesn't Work and How We Can Do Better
"Alison Flowers has written the definitive book on life after exonerationbeautifully rendered, achingly powerful stories capturing with nuance and depth the perilous leap of faith, hope and despair that actual freedom requires of the actually innocent. A rare story teller, indeed."
Pam Cytrynbaum, Executive Director of Chicago Innocence Center
"Exoneree Diaries is a page-turner about the triumph of courage over Kafkaesque injustices that befell a woman and three men who were imprisoned a total of more than eighty years for crimes they did not commit. The stories of how they survived behind bars and coped with the unrelenting challenges of life after exoneration are at once tragic and upliftingand unforgettable."
Rob Warden, executive director emeritus of the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern School of Law
"Alison Flowers has written an important book filled with vivid, unforgettable stories. Meticulously told through the perspectives of people who have been exonerated, you feel the stress of watching their tragedies unfold with an eye towards redemption. Their experiences will stay in your mind and heart long past when the last page is finished. There is no substitute for great reporting. These pages represent a measure of justice. "
Amy Bach, Executive Director of Measures for Justice and author of Ordinary Injustice: How America Holds Court
"Exoneree Diaries is a powerful, truthful and compelling read for anyone who is interested in the world of wrongful convictions. Alison Flowers has reached into the heart of these exonerees to share their joys, triumphs and sorrows. She is perhaps the first author to delineate the deep agony experienced by exonerees after their freedom has been won." Gloria Killian, exoneree and author of Full Circle: A True Story of Murder, Lies and Vindication
"Well-researched and written, Exoneree Diaries captures the essence of lives torn apart by wrongful convictions. The stories highlight the multiple failures in our system intended to deliver criminal justice and underscore the resulting human suffering. Kristine, Jacques, James, and Antione continue to move forward despite the wrongs, leaving the reader with multiple lessons in the human spirit’s will to endure." Frances Lee Watson, director of the Wrongful Conviction Clinic at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
Sadly, most Americans have witnessed headlines, news stories, and dramatizations of failed justice finally corrected, but what happens after an innocent person, wrongly convicted and imprisoned, emerges into freedom following the cruel loss of family, reputation, career, resources, and liberty for years, even decades? In Exoneree Diaries journalist and author Alison Flowers tells the largely untold, fuller personal stories of exonerees. Kristine, Jacques, James, and Antione were all convicted of horrific crimes they did not commit, wrongfully imprisoned, and later released into a changed world. Exoneree Diaries is a compelling portrait of the many people impacted by flawed justice the wrongly convicted and their families, victims and their families, and heroes compelled to invest years in unraveling stubborn miscarriages. Flowers provides a fascinating read with inspiring lessons in courage, hope, and endurance eventually rewarded in bittersweet victories. Because these four cases represent the much larger universe of the wrongly convicted, Exoneree Diaries is ultimately a powerful call to Americans to reform our criminal justice system.”
Jim Petro and Nancy Petro, co-authors of False Justice Eight Myths that Convict the Innocent
"Every now and then, a tiny crack of light shows through the dark, brutal realities of the US criminal justice system, and a falsely convicted victim walks free of the prison doors after spending decades behind them. But for these former prisoners, exoneration is not the end of the story. It is only the beginning. And Alison Flowers, in Exoneree Diaries, effectively provides the narrative of their lives." Foreword Reviews, "Book of the Day"
"No author has covered the years after exoneration with the same depth as Flowers does in this disturbing book. She ably shows that even under the best of circumstances, exonerees struggle with family relationships, job searches, recovery from prison-related health problems, adjustments to new technologies, and more. Exoneree Diaries is a thoroughly researched, provocative book of justice gone wrong."
Kirkus Reviews
"After their triumphant releases, we rarely hear more about the people whose lives are interrupted by lengthy prison stays for crimes they did not commit... In [these] deeply personal accounts, [Flowers] gives readers a near-complete look at each exoneree’s life before, during, and after prison."
South Side Weekly
"Having experienced the unending nightmare of being wrongfully convicted, and the mind-blowing trauma that hits like a tidal wave after release from prison, I can attest that Alison Flowers has nailed it - and then driven it home. This book will help anyone living with or experiencing profound trauma, and sometimes that's all we can ask for, to have a measure of understanding."
Damien Echols, former "West Memphis Three" death row inmate and author of Life After Death
"Exoneree Diaries is an immersive and powerful journey through the depths of a violent system. These nuanced, vividly portrayed stories bring to life the heart-wrenching experienceand lingering effectsof having one's freedom stolen by the state. This is a beautifully written and urgently necessary book."
Maya Schenwar, author of Locked Down, Lock Out: Why Prison Doesn't Work and How We Can Do Better
"Alison Flowers has written the definitive book on life after exonerationbeautifully rendered, achingly powerful stories capturing with nuance and depth the perilous leap of faith, hope and despair that actual freedom requires of the actually innocent. A rare story teller, indeed."
Pam Cytrynbaum, Executive Director of Chicago Innocence Center
"Exoneree Diaries is a page-turner about the triumph of courage over Kafkaesque injustices that befell a woman and three men who were imprisoned a total of more than eighty years for crimes they did not commit. The stories of how they survived behind bars and coped with the unrelenting challenges of life after exoneration are at once tragic and upliftingand unforgettable."
Rob Warden, executive director emeritus of the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern School of Law
"Alison Flowers has written an important book filled with vivid, unforgettable stories. Meticulously told through the perspectives of people who have been exonerated, you feel the stress of watching their tragedies unfold with an eye towards redemption. Their experiences will stay in your mind and heart long past when the last page is finished. There is no substitute for great reporting. These pages represent a measure of justice. "
Amy Bach, Executive Director of Measures for Justice and author of Ordinary Injustice: How America Holds Court
"Exoneree Diaries is a powerful, truthful and compelling read for anyone who is interested in the world of wrongful convictions. Alison Flowers has reached into the heart of these exonerees to share their joys, triumphs and sorrows. She is perhaps the first author to delineate the deep agony experienced by exonerees after their freedom has been won." Gloria Killian, exoneree and author of Full Circle: A True Story of Murder, Lies and Vindication
"Well-researched and written, Exoneree Diaries captures the essence of lives torn apart by wrongful convictions. The stories highlight the multiple failures in our system intended to deliver criminal justice and underscore the resulting human suffering. Kristine, Jacques, James, and Antione continue to move forward despite the wrongs, leaving the reader with multiple lessons in the human spirit’s will to endure." Frances Lee Watson, director of the Wrongful Conviction Clinic at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
Sadly, most Americans have witnessed headlines, news stories, and dramatizations of failed justice finally corrected, but what happens after an innocent person, wrongly convicted and imprisoned, emerges into freedom following the cruel loss of family, reputation, career, resources, and liberty for years, even decades? In Exoneree Diaries journalist and author Alison Flowers tells the largely untold, fuller personal stories of exonerees. Kristine, Jacques, James, and Antione were all convicted of horrific crimes they did not commit, wrongfully imprisoned, and later released into a changed world. Exoneree Diaries is a compelling portrait of the many people impacted by flawed justice the wrongly convicted and their families, victims and their families, and heroes compelled to invest years in unraveling stubborn miscarriages. Flowers provides a fascinating read with inspiring lessons in courage, hope, and endurance eventually rewarded in bittersweet victories. Because these four cases represent the much larger universe of the wrongly convicted, Exoneree Diaries is ultimately a powerful call to Americans to reform our criminal justice system.”
Jim Petro and Nancy Petro, co-authors of False Justice Eight Myths that Convict the Innocent