There are about 600 men on California's death row in San Quentin prison. A large number of the condemned men are committed Christians. How is this possible? Those whom society has condemned are supposed to be incapable of true repentance and moral transformation. The heinous crimes they have perpetrated seem to preclude the possibility of genuine contrition. Consummate evildoers, it is generally believed, are simply not redeemable. (But) there are, in fact, dedicated Christian believers on death row. I am one of them. Shortly after my arrest for a number of very serious crimes, I repented of my sins and I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. I was made a "new creation." My physical appearance did not change but my morality and worldview certainly did. I began reading the Bible. People started noticing my transformation. Some were skeptical. Others were awed by the obvious change that God had effected in my heart. I had become a living example of the fact that God makes bad men good. What God did (for me) He has also done for many others on death row. (We) get together regularly for prayer, Bible study, and worship. We also receive communion using grape Kool-Aid in lieu of wine. The fact that we are under a (death sentence) is not troubling because we are convinced that God loves us and has given us the gift of eternal life (John 5:24).

Steve L.