Life after death row

Anthony Ray Hinton lived in a 5’ x 7’ cell at the edge of death for nearly 30 years, and learned astonishing lessons about life, forgiveness, and love in the process. 

Exonerated by the Supreme Court, he walked out of the Jefferson County Jail in Birmingham, Alabama in April of 2015. “The sun does shine,” he said, as he was embraced by family and friends.

What was it like to re-enter the world after decades of isolation, and the trauma of being wrongfully convicted of murder? Imagine never having used a cell phone, an ATM machine or GPS. Imagine having won your freedom, but having no home, no income, and no tech skills.

Today, Hinton serves as an important advocate for prison reform. But he also admits that being ‘released’ does not mean you are truly free. That takes real work.

One of the longest serving death row prisoners in Alabama history and among the longest serving condemned prisoners to be freed after presenting evidence of innocence, Mr. Hinton was the 152nd person exonerated from death row since 1983.

According to Bryan Stevenson, Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, “Race, poverty, inadequate legal assistance, and prosecutorial indifference to innocence conspired to create a textbook example of injustice. I can’t think of a case that more urgently dramatizes the need for reform than what has happened to Anthony Ray Hinton.”

The Sonoma Speaker Series presents Anthony Ray Hinton in conversation, on Monday, February 12 at 7 pm at the Hanna Center Auditorium. 

He will share the story of his amazing, arduous, and inspiring life, discuss his strategy for surviving an unthinkable experience, and describe what truly carried him through the challenges of both incarceration and newfound freedom.

Signed copies of his NY Times bestselling book, The Sun Does Shine, will be available for sale in the lobby by Readers Books before and after his compelling interview with Sonoma Speaker Series Board Member, Laura Zimmerman.

1700 Arnold Drive. $40-90. Visit www.SonomaSpeakerSeries.com for more information.