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Becoming A Man
By Terrance TuckerMay 18, 2017 – Today is my son’s 18th birthday. Today ends his childhood status in the eyes of society, and he can now be treated as an adult. Today I am reminded again that I have...
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Pro Bono with Judge
By Eric WilliamsI'm a former judge (elected official in Texas), former attorney, and military veteran. Currently, I am an inmate on Texas Death Row. My objective with this column is to produce over...
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Well, that was certainly… interesting.
By Thomas Bartlett WhitakerA man upstairs is screaming. I can’t quite parse the full content of his tirade; the acoustics in this place are a little weird and, in any case, he’s hardly paused for a...
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Hero of the Quotidan
Admin Note: Bill Van Poyck was executed by the state of Florida on June 12, 2013. His sister Lisa, the keeper of his writings and his memory, shared this previously unpublished story with Minutes...
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Out on the Tracks
By Michael MooreI squinted into the light of the train as it came at me full speed. The ground vibrated under my eleven-year-old ass, and my heart sped up with anticipation. WHAH! WHAH! The street was...
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Walk the Dog
By Chris DankovichWhen the prison in which I've grown up partnered with a local animal shelter and a service-canine organization to start a dog rehabilitation and training program, it had been nearly...
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No Way Out
By Terry Daniel McDonald“Mike, are you ready?” I asked.We were seated around a table in the dayroom. Mike was to my right. Don was across from me. Being in the same section made it easy to communicate...
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Protocol
By Keith S. HamptonI am a Texas criminal defense attorney and I wrote this short story because it seemed the only way to convey the reality of a former client’s ongoing cruel and unusual punishment,...
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A Slightly Coded Message
By Thomas Bartlett WhitakerMessage to readers: Last fall, I asked Thomas to pen an essay announcing that Minutes Before Six has officially become a non-profit project. Who better than Thomas, founder...
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Gladiator School
By Lars SnowThe whole time I was in county jail, I heard over and over, "Don't go to Clallum Bay, it's a gladiator school." Outwardly I exuded this great confidence, a real I don't give a fuck...
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Life Story
By James GreenFrom childhood up to seven years of age is when a child’s life forces are released into fantasy, memory, and learning capacity. Looking back on the first seven years of my childhood I...
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Shasta the Cat
By John FalkIt’s minutes before six and we’re all waiting for the Execution Watch radio show to come on the air so that us guys on Texas Death Row can sort of share Thomas Whitaker’s final moments with...
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Everyday…EVERYDAY!!!
By Louis PerezI woke up at 3:30 a.m. to have my breakfast. You may be thinking, ”Why in the world does this man get up at 3:30 a.m. to eat breakfast?” Well, I´ll tell you, I´m hungry. Today I had...
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Another Freak and/or Weirdo
by J. Michael Stanfield Jr.A stranger is heading straight for the kennel.For a moment Bobby is certain the odd-looking man will at last see that the parking lot is only a dead-end and be forced to turn...
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Dark Side of the Honeymoon
By Steve BartholomewRecently, my friend began coordinating pen pals for prisoners, a noble service for which she isn't being paid. She asked me if I knew anyone who might be interested, since she had...
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Murder, Streamlined
By Thomas Bartlett WhitakerHistory repeats itself; that’s one of the things that’s wrong with history.- Clarence Darrow.As many times as I’ve been warned to be careful what I wished for, you’d have...
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Andy
By Michael Moore3:37 P.M.Andy gripped the steering wheel a little tighter than usual. He wondered what it might feel like to laugh. Then he wondered what it meant to feel. He thought he knew. Curious...
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Months Before Six
Portions of this essay were originally shared by HIS Death Row Ministry and Support, a wonderful and compassionate group managed by devoted and energetic warrior, Nicole C. Combs. Information about...
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A Slightly Coded Message
By Thomas Bartlett WhitakerMessage to readers: Last January, I asked Thomas to pen an essay announcing that Minutes Before Six had officially become a non-profit project. Who better than Thomas,...
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Food The Conduit
By Kenneth M. KeyWhen I think of one of my fondest memories is of waking up to the smell of sweet potato pies baking in the oven. My mother was a member of the Woodlawn Baptist Church. After the...
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