Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lawrence Wright examines the morality of capital punishment, the possibility of redemption and troubling questions about Texas’ criminal justice system in his new book, “Redemption: Faith, Justice, and Sisterhood on Death Row.”
The book tells the remarkable story of seven women on Texas’ death row and the Catholic nuns who develop an unlikely bond with them.
The relationship began in 2014 when Deacon Ronnie Lastovica visited the women at a prison in Gatesville. He enlisted the Sisters of Mary Morning Star, a contemplative religious community near Waco, to provide spiritual companionship.
Despite their vastly different circumstances, the nuns and prisoners discovered unexpected similarities in their isolated lives. Over time, their visits grew into friendships built on trust, compassion and faith.
But Wright's investigation goes far beyond their spiritual connection.
Some of the condemned women struggle with guilt over terrible crimes. Others insist they are innocent. Wright examines their troubled histories, including experiences of abuse, addiction and poverty, while confronting the suffering inflicted on victims and their families.
As he investigates the convictions, Wright uncovers disturbing allegations and evidence of unethical police tactics, prosecutorial misconduct and unreliable forensic methods.
Among the cases is that of Melissa Lucio, whose conviction in her young daughter's death has faced serious challenges involving disputed medical evidence and questions about her confession.
The findings raise questions about the reliability of a justice system empowered to impose irreversible punishment.
Wright, an Austin resident and author of “The Looming Tower” and “God Save Texas,” also explores a deeper moral dilemma: Can people who have committed horrific crimes change, and what does society gain by executing them decades later?
Guest:
Lawrence Wright is the author of “Redemption: Faith, Justice and Sisterhood on Death Row. He is a staff writer for The New Yorker and has been recognized with a Pulitzer Prize for “The Looming Tower.”
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This interview will be recorded live Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
