The human face of death row

Claire Phillips met with people who have experienced the reality of death row. Her portraits are presented without any obvious visual reference to the death row environment or the death penalty. They aim to present the humanity of the people involved – their very ordinariness.

Shareef Cousin spent four years on death row before his conviction for murder was overturned because of improperly withheld evidence by the state. At the time of the murder he had actually been playing basketball; a video recording of the game which included a wall clock, proving his alibi, was never shown in court.

Shareef Cousin, 2008 Photograph: Claire Phillips

Dan Bright was sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of Murray Barnes. Kathleen Hawk Norman was the foreperson of the jury that convicted him. Kathleen subsequently became convinced that the verdict had been incorrect, and began a campaign to overturn the conviction. In 2004 the prosecution dismissed all charges and Dan was freed.

Dan Bright and Kathleen Hawk Norman, 2007 Photograph: Claire Phillips

Krishna Maharaj, a British businessman, was convicted of murder during a trip to Florida in 1986 and sentenced to death. The initial trial was riddled with irregularities and a BBC news investigation has uncovered very significant evidence pointing to Krishna's innocence. In 2002 the sentence was commuted to life. In 2008 Krishna lost his final plea for clemency leaving him to spend his final years in prison.

Krishna Maharaj, 2009 Photograph: Claire Phillips

As a young state legislator, Bill Wiseman voted for the return of the death penalty despite profound moral misgivings. He was later responsible for the lethal injection bill in 1977, an attempt to appease his conscience by humanising the process of execution.

Bill Wiseman, 2008 Photograph: Claire Phillips

Linda Carty is a British citizen who has been on death row in Texas for eight years, convicted of the murder of her neighbour solely on the testimony of her co-accused, three career criminals who saved themselves from the death penalty by accusing Linda. Her court-appointed lawyer did not discuss the case with his client until after the trial had begun. Linda is currently in the final stage of the appeal process.

Linda Carty, 2008 Photograph: Claire Phillips

Marietta Jaeger Lane's seven-year-old daughter was abducted, raped and murdered while the family was camping in Montana. When the perpetrator was arrested a year later, Marietta did not want him executed, believing that "all of life is sacred and worthy of preservation" and that another death would not be the best way to honour her daughter's life.

Marietta Jaeger-Lane, 2008 Photograph: Claire Phillips

In the 1980s Don Cabana served for five years as Warden of Mississippi State Penitentiary, the maximum security prison commonly known as Parchman. During this time he supervised two executions. He then spent 12 years teaching criminal justice and began openly questioning the wisdom of the death penalty. Don is currently Warden of the Harrison County Adult Detention Center in Gulfport, which does not have a death row.

Warden Don Cabana, 2008 Photograph: Claire Phillips

Ryan Matthews is the 115th person to be exonerated from death row. In 1999, Ryan was wrongfully convicted of the murder of Tommy Vanhoose. In August 2004, seven years after his arrest and after five years on death row, all charges were dropped. DNA evidence presented by Clive Stafford Smith and the Reprieve defence team, conclusively proved that a man called Rondell Love was responsible for the murder.

Pauline, Ryan's mother said: “I had hope, hope was what kept me alive.”

Ryan and Pauline Matthews, 2008 Photograph: Claire Phillips