Confessions of a Former Prosecutor

Once an Assistant Attorney General in Tennessee, Preston Shipp found his convictions challenged after teaching criminal justice courses to inmates from the Tennessee Prison for Women. He resigned from prosecuting and continued teaching. Soon after leaving, an exceptional individual, Cyntoia Brown, joined his class. Shipp believed she deserved a chance at redemption—only to receive a brief on a years-old murder and robbery case in which he himself had argued for a life sentence for 16-year-old Cyntoia Brown. Out of guilt and empathy, Shipp embarked on a decade-long journey to free Ms. Brown and while traveling his own path to redemption. Today, he dedicates his efforts to 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 even though they were under the age of 18. Shipp shares his views on how the American justice system is in desperate need of reform, especially for juveniles.

Author Biography

Preston Shipp is a former assistant Attorney General for the State of Tennessee. He is the Senior Policy Counsel for the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth and served as past President of Theology & Peace. Shipp has also served as an adjunct professor at Lipscomb University and as a guest lecturer at Vanderbilt University Law School and Trevecca University. He lives with his wife and three teenage kids in Nashville, Tennessee. Eric Wilson is a New York Times bestselling author whose books have sold over 600,000 copies. Eric lives in Nashville, Tennessee.