Death Row Diaries

Danny Gregory creates a gallery of portraits based on headshots of death row inmates. The Morning News hosts.

Writes Gregory:

I was surprised by what I discovered in their stories. Instead of evil genius, I found stupidity, dreadful planning, and a childishness surrender to id and immediate gratification. While some of the condemned are brooding and long-term bad, most just lashed out in some asinine way that led straight to the gallows.

Should anyone be killed by the state? I think not. Can this level of poor judgment be reformed? I doubt it. What should be done with these folks? I dunno, so I drew them. Here’s the beginning of roll call for the current graduating class and a synopsis of their extracurriculars.

(The Morning News: “Death Row Diaries,” by Danny Gregory [October 19, 2004])