The Place Before Perdition

What earns an inmate parole? How do you know if someone is reformed? In this work of philosophical short fiction set in unforgiving Texas, Ed Joe is a parole board member haunted by his own failings. He interviews Clarence James, who was imprisoned for a fatal drunk driving accident. Clarence claims rehabilitation, citing his prison achievements and religious conversion, but subtly offers Ed Joe a bribe in exchange for a favorable parole decision. Ed Joe interviews Clarence’s hopeful mother and the victim’s grieving parent as he confronts his own past debts, his father’s legacy of unwavering justice, and the profound questions of whether true repentance is possible.