Good Kids, Bad City: A Story of Race and Wrongful Conviction in America

Injustice, race, and wrongful conviction are hot-button topics in today’s America, and award-winning investigative journalist Kyle Swenson isn’t afraid to tackle them head on.

Good Kids, Bad City is the heart-wrenching true story of one of the longest wrongful imprisonments in American history to end in exoneration. In 1975, three young African American men were accused and convicted of a brutal murder. The main eyewitness—a 12-year-old boy—recanted his testimony nearly four decades later. That’s four decades of lives unlived and precious time that can never be restored.

In addition to carefully examining this case, Swenson exposes how bad policy and police practices contributed to mass incarceration over the years and continues to do so today. While it’s specific to Cleveland, this is an American story. These lessons are far-reaching and vital. For non-fiction, it’s a gripping story. It’s eye-opening and shocking. Prepare to get angry!