In Life After Death, Damien Echols recounts his life spent on Death Row, for 18 years, following a wrongful conviction for murder. Like many young men dismissed by society and rebelling against authority, Echols was a teen who grew up in poverty and remained on the outside of acceptable society, wearing black and with long hair–characteristics which drew the attention of local police. When three young boys were murdered, Echols and 2 friends were arrested, charged and convicted of the crime. They became known as the West Menphis Three. Echols describes his life on death row–the lack of humanity and privacy, deplorable living conditions and cruel jailers. His strength and his ability to rise above his circumstances are nothing short of amazing. Echols studied and learned about many religions, finding strength and solace in Zen Buddhism, spending many hours meditating in his cell. HIs spirituality and his love of reading helped him to survive the isolation and desolation of prison. The case drew the attention of several celebrities following a documentary made by Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, titled West of Memphis, and the publicity created a demand for the case to be re-opened. Echols and the other two men were released from prison in August of 2011. This is a remarkable story of not only survival but of courage and dignity under the most dehumanizing conditions and raises many questions about the harsh treatment of prison inmates and about the death penalty itself.