Why We’re Publishing “Confessions of a Former Prosecutor”

We Americans pride ourselves on our justice system. For more than two centuries, it has served as an example for the rest of the world.

But we all know its flaws. Innocent people are sentenced far too often - especially when they are not white, an grave injustice with effects we can barely perceive. Beyond the edge of that much-deserved spotlight, sentences in which the punishment outweighs the crime don’t get near the attention they deserve. When “tough on crime” appears in nearly every political campaign ad, the moral dilemma of tough sentencing is not high on the priority list of the typical American.

This cruel trait of the American justice system is at the heart of Confessions of a Former Prosecutor: Abandoning Vengeance and Embracing True Justice by Preston Shipp with Eric Wilson. A former prosecutor for the State of Tennessee whose work kept offenders in prison, Shipp shares his story of his transformative experience that led him to rededicate his life to juvenile justice reform.

Shipp guides readers through the complexities of the criminal justice system while simultaneously sharing the influences that opened his eyes: personal encounters with criminal justice reformers, wisdom from pages of books old and new, and guidance from compassionate mentors. We walk alongside him as he turns a page on his old ways and his old life, making decisions few of us would make.

When we read Matthew 25 in which Jesus scolding his followers for ignoring him when he was hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked, it’s easy for us to imagine how we can help immediately. Jesus’s final admonition, when he was sick and in prison yet unvisited… that one stings.

But going to prison is what started Shipp on his journey, teaching criminal justice courses to inmates at the Tennessee Prison for Women. Teaching and learning from this unique group of students, Shipp realized he could no longer reconcile his work and his faith. Soon after resigning from the state AG’s office, an exceptional student named Cyntoia Brown, convicted of murder and robbery, joined his class. He believed Cyntoia deserved a chance at redemption—only to learn he himself had been one of the prosecutors who had argued for a life sentence for the 16-year-old who acted in self-defense.

Shipp embarked on a decade-long journey to free Ms. Brown, whose case became a national cause. Eventually Brown was released, and Shipp now works for the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, which has led to more than 1,000 people receiving a new chance at life after being sentenced to life imprisonment as juveniles.

Shipp’s story, though far less traumatic than Brown’s, fascinates in its own right. It takes an unimaginable measure of humility, introspection, and courage to agree to tell the story about how everything you thought you ever wanted instead became your worst nightmare. Shipp’s story was brought to Chalice Press by David Woodard, his friend since college and Chalice’s associate publisher. Transforming the story into a written narrative was New York Times bestselling author Eric Wilson, whose family memoir was published by Chalice in 2022.

It’s one thing to critique the justice system when the closest most of us get is when we’re called for jury duty. Shipp knows the ins and outs of the system, its flaws, its blind spots. He believes the American justice system is in desperate need of reform, especially for juveniles.

“My hope is that people who read Confessions of a Former Prosecutor come away having thought carefully, even prayerfully, about what justice actually is, and with an understanding of how far the American criminal legal system falls of that lofty ideal,” Shipp writes. “I hope that readers will be convicted of the racism inherent in America's system of punishment and inspired to take action to bring about change. I hope they appreciate the tremendous potential for good that all people have, including people who are caged. I hope church folks feel a sense of urgency to get up off the padded sanctuary pews and heed Jesus' clear command to visit people who are imprisoned and see what God is up to outside the comfort of the steeples.”

To create change, first we must learn about the problem itself. Shipp helps us navigate the complexities of the judicial system while keeping our own values in sight, reconciling the two. Finally, he shows how he made changing the system his life’s calling and shows how we can join the effort for reform the juvenile justice system.

Confessions of a Former Prosecutor may not change your mind about juvenile justice, but it will leave a mark. You may listen to news of a juvenile conviction differently. You may think a little differently about what happens at your county courthouse. You may begin showing more mercy to the still-maturing teens in your life. You may even give somebody a second chance. Who doesn’t need a second chance every once in a while?

Brad Lyons is the President & Publisher of Chalice Media Group.