Dave Atwood presents Death Row News on the radio. It's a regular feature of The Prison Show, the programme I've come to visit in Houston, Texas.
Death Row News has two objectives. The first, is to tell listeners what's happening when it comes to Death Row, informing them about executions coming up and any particularly contentious cases. That's the "newsy" bit. The second, is to reach out to Death Row prisoners and let them know that some people care for them.
In this picture, Dave is interviewing a guest from Uganda who was on death row in Kampala for 18 years. He was released when the man he was supposed to have murdered was found alive and well.
Death Row in the state of Texas is in a prison to the north of Houston. More specifically, it's in a unit called The Polunsky Unit. When I visit the Prison Show as it airs there are many, many "shout-outs" for prisoners on The Polunsky Unit.
Death Row inmates aren't allowed TVs but they can have a radio and Dave tells me a lot of prisoners tune in, giving feedback by letter.
"They really do appreciate it," says Dave. "It makes them know that people are concerned about their situation, and there are some people out there who are not for the death penalty. Texas has this reputation around the world of being for the death penatly, but really there are lots of people who aren't."
"We give a voice to prisoners on Death Row and we try and instill some hope that the death penalty will be abolished."
Dave leads a pressure group which fights to get rid of the death penalty. The Prison Show is against it too, and doesn't sit on the fence about it either or be journalistically objective. In that sense, the programme is a campaigning one. Dave says, "We are taking a stand!" He laughs, but his voice is suddenly strong and determined about this. "We are not neutral about that issue here."
Dave is clear about who The Prison Show is for. In his view, it's for prisoners first and foremost but he's aware that people on the outside tune in. "People turn on the radio and then they hear these voices. The second half of the programme are family members who call in with a message for their loved one in prison. And when you hear the voices of mothers, fathers and sometimes children saying 'Hello daddy. How ya doing? We hope to come up and visit you next month but we're sending our love to you now'. You know, it humanises the whole thing. We have to realise that the people in prison have made mistakes. Some people have done some pretty bad stuff and we have to recognise that, but still they're human beings. We want to work for their rehabilitation, we want them back in society, we want them to be productive citizens. This show helps citizens understand that prisoners are human beings too, with families."