On 23 April 2006, the life of Richard Michael Rossi came to an end. He died in the prison hospital in Florence, Arizona

Richard was born in New York in 1947. While addicted to drugs he killed a man in 1983, while trying to sell him a stolen typewriter. He received the death penalty. He always regretted what happened on that fatal day. During the long years on deathrow Richard Rossi succeeded not to drown in self-pity. He kept an active interest in the world outside his cell, had many contacts with people in the world, wrote articles and he published a book about life on deathrow which was published in several translations around the world. He continued to fight against injustice. While his body was locked up, his spirit remained free. The prison system was not able to break him but his health did deteriorate. Richard, for 22 years kept in solitary confinement, kept behind concrete and bars, in a cell without daylight, locked in a body that was not functioning that well anymore, that is the Richard who died. He was spared an execution. Death, which came unexpected, made an end to his double imprisonment.

How much Richard appreciated the contact with his friends is shown in this piece that he wrote:


"I live for my letters with news from my friends. They have become my extended family. They are the root system that keeps me anchored and in touch with reality. Certainly a reason for living when little else remains. Although hatred and pain will always exist, I have found there is an antidote, that being the caring and love that arrives in the form of letters that float through these prisonwalls like magic, carrying a drug stronger than the poison of hate. You who write to me have given me hope and strength, you have taught me the meaning of true friendship and humanity. It is not the length of life that matters, but rather the richness and quality of life. Thanks to you, my friends, I have the knowledge that I have worth and value as a human being."

What remains is the memory of a human being, who was more than the one deed that brought him to deathrow. May the peace he longed for, now be his. Rest in peace, Richie.

Else Bougie
April 2006


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Should you wish to express your sympathy, you can send an email to condolences@richie-rossi.nl
The emails will be send to the executor of Richie's will.
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Else Bougie is the chairwoman of "Inside-Outside", a foundation here in the Netherlands that offers services to American prisoners serving a death sentence or a long term sentence, who are looking for someone to correspond with, and she and Richard were close friends for many years.

Richard's website: http://www.richie-rossi.nl/english/english.html

May he rest in peace.

Richard's book was first published in France and over here in The Netherlands and I read it several years ago. Richard knew that I have a pen pal in the same prison and that the book is even more special for me because of that. He even sent me a very nice dedication page for my book and after Laird Carlson asked me to write a preview of the book for the Cell Door Magazine Richard had it placed on his website to.

Richard was a very nice and special person and he had a lot of friends all over the world. I'm sure that he will be missed by all of them, but I'm glad that he doesn't have to suffer anymore and I hope that he will rest in peace.

Richard Michael Rossi

WAITING TO DIE - Life on death row

Richard Rossi's book already was published in the french and dutch language. Now it will also be published in the english language. The english version will be published by Vision Paperback, a british publisher. The book is sceduled to be released in August 2004 (UK) and October 2004 (USA). The ISBN is 1-904132-52-9.




Book Announcement
At long last I am pleased to announce that my book 'Waiting To Die - Life On Death Row' is being published in English. As you may know, the book has been published in France and in Holland. It sold very well in those countries. But my main objective has always been to have the book published in English to reach my core audience in America and in the U.K. Vision Paperbacks in the U.K. will be releasing the book in bookstores in August 2004 in the U.K. and also in America in October 2004. It will also be available from Amazon.com.

The book takes the reader behind these thick concrete control unit walls to have a first hand look at what really goes on. The details of everyday life and the system of rules that control everything we do are detached. The politics of the death penalty are revealed, the Arizona death row chaingang, prison labor, rehabilitation, closure, control unit prisons, the actual execution protocol used to execute us is exposed step by step. Lastly I discuss the recent court decisions and challenges to the death penalty that offer us hope.

I hope you will take this opportunity to read this revealing story of life on death row. I can guarantee you that you will come away informed, amazed and even shocked when you enter the world of a death row prisoner and see death row for what it really is, not what the politicians and press describe it as being. The book is a must read for anyone interested in capital punishment and all the controversy surrounding it. See the actual forms used to execute another human being and see the photo's of death row. This is a comprehensive primer on the subject and a must read. I value your support.

Richard Michael Rossi