The Fear of 13: Countdown to Execution; My Fight for Survival on Death Row

Found guilty of the rape and murder of a woman he declares he never met, Yarris was sentenced to death row in Pennsylvania. Twenty-two years later, he was released, thanks to DNA evidence withheld by the authorities. Now living in England, Yarris tells the story of his survival in conditions that resemble those of the Middle Ages. Readers not familiar with the prison system will find this book an eye-opener. They will learn that nothing could be much worse than death row, an entity completely shut off from the outside world, where inmates are subject to the abuse of the guards, the interplay among inmates, and the knowledge that they will eventually be put to death. Yarris's writing is direct and without embellishment. Dropping a few poignant statements here and there, however, he does capture the readers' attention and gives plenty to think about and question in being a part of this 21st-century civilization.