I didn't mind the 23 hours a day solitary confinement for the majority of the time, because after the first few years in prison, when I stopped being angry and started to like myself and understand myself, it was OK. I still enjoy my own company sometimes.

Nick Yarris

They put me in solitary confinement, and although I went on to do 8,755 days of solitary in total, the first two were the hardest. I almost went mad, beating my head against the wall.

Nick Yarris

I taught myself German and psychology. Learning about psychology really helped me understand myself and the others around me and it helped keep me sane.

Nick Yarris

So the chances of you being sentenced to Death Row in America is roughly the same as you winning the lottery.

Nick Yarris

The world on the outside was tougher than I imagined. I felt allergic to fresh air, and my feet hurt from wearing shoes again. I didn't know how long I was going to live, so I did everything as fast as I could.

Nick Yarris

Death row saved my life. It taught me everything is a luxury to be treasured.

Nick Yarris

I used to dream about being able to sit at a table with another human being, have a normal conversation, and have a meal with normal cutlery, and have normal moments.

Nick Yarris

I realised no one else was going to care about me so I started to be nice to myself.

Nick Yarris

When everyone is spitting in your face and you can be nice back to society - that is the ultimate self empowerment and that's what I was striving for.

Nick Yarris

Here's the crazy thing: if I was guilty I would be entitled to job training, housing, medical treatment. But I have nothing. I was released with five dollars and 37 cents of my own money.

Nick Yarris

It is a strange thing that true crime has now got entertainment value. I don't know why people love shows about crime so much.

Nick Yarris

I genuinely believe that being on death row for 22 years ultimately saved my life. It was the greatest adventure of my life, and I survived it.

Nick Yarris

My worst memory is living through the 1989 riot in Huntingdon Prison.

Nick Yarris

I didn't mind the 23 hours a day solitary confinement for the majority of the time, because after the first few years in prison, when I stopped being angry and started to like myself and understand myself, it was OK. I still enjoy my own company sometimes.

Nick Yarris

I believe life imprisonment is far worse than the death penalty.

Nick Yarris

The hardest thing to do when people are hurting you is to remain a decent person.

Nick Yarris

The whole purpose of my education ultimately was so I could deliver a statement eloquently before my execution.

Nick Yarris

I lived around the man who was the model for Buffalo Bill in the movie 'Silence of the Lambs.'

Nick Yarris

I circumnavigated the globe while I was sitting in a prison. It was wonderful because I kept defeating those walls they put around me.

Nick Yarris

It is really difficult to read a movie script about yourself and to think that a major actor - perhaps even Chris Pine - is going to play this role is really daunting.

Nick Yarris

If you torture a man as I was tortured he will learn more about love than you could ever ­imagine, and that has left me ­vulnerable.

Nick Yarris