Reverend Steven Stone is a respected priest and philosopher who just also happens to be a convicted terrorist. Thomas O'Neil is an ex-FBI agent who befriends him after his release in order to unravel the truth behind Stone's capture, trial and harsh imprisonment. Prompted by the curiosity of his young questioner, Stone slowly unburdens his soul and paints a harrowing picture of life inside a maximum-security penitentiary; a life of solitary confinement, violence and moral and intellectual degradation from which few emerge unscathed or repentant. As Stone attempts to come to terms with his shattering experiences and his appalling treatment as one of America's most notorious criminals, Thomas seeks to discover the truth behind the US government's condemnation and persecution of his companion. Is he victim and scapegoat of the world's most celebrated democratic system of justice - or is he in fact a cynical manipulator and murderer?