3. “What would happen, Mr. Marsellus,” I ask, “if each time a condemned man appeared before you, the members of this board began recommending life, not death? What if you shared with the governor that you find the death penalty so morally troubling that you cannot bring yourself any longer to give your vote of approval to these executions? What would happen then, Mr. Marsellus?”

In Chapter 8, Prejean describes confronting the members of the Pardon Board during Robert Willie’s hearing. The board, which has so far refused to grant clemency to any of the death row inmates who have come before it, is supposed to be the last hope for the condemned man, yet political concerns guide it more than justice. Prejean believes that every individual is ultimately responsible for his or her own actions, and individuals cannot ignore their moral obligations by claiming bureaucracy or politics is to blame. By asking the board members what would happen if they commuted the sentences from death to life, Prejean is asking them to acknowledge the responsibility they share in perpetuating a system that some, including the board chairman, have openly acknowledged as unjust and arbitrary. Her question is at once a challenge and an opportunity. In accepting their responsibilities as individuals, she is suggesting the board members can empower themselves to bring about real change.