On 13 December 2005, Stanley Tookie Williams was executed by lethal injection in San Quentin Prison, California, for four murders he had always denied. His final days were the subject of worldwide debate, and his funeral was attended by celebrities, rap stars and politicians. Yet few knew the full story of his extraordinary life. Tookie was once the most awesome figure in Los Angeles gangland, a young man with a ferocious reputation as a fighter and leader. To protect his family and friends from roving street gangs, Tookie and the charismatic Ray Washington created the Crips – the biggest gang of all. But as the Crips expanded they became like the rivals they once despised: gangbangers who terrorized their own neighbourhoods. In 1979, Tookie was charged with murdering four people in two robberies. Though always declaring his innocence, he was convicted and sentenced to death. Uncompromising and massively-built, Tookie became one of the most feared inmates in the U.S. prison system. But as he educated himself in his tiny cell, he underwent a transformation, seeking redemption from his violent legacy. He wrote books instructing youths not to follow in his footsteps and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and the Nobel Prize in Literature – all from his Death Row cell. His life story became a Hollywood movie starring Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx. Destined to become a classic, REDEMPTION is the story of an remarkable life and the most insightful, candid and thought-provoking book ever written on gang culture. “He inspired me to want to do something positive with my life.” Snoop Dogg
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