Harries was born on December 30, 1950 into a family in poverty. His father beat his mother. His father, uncles, and most of his male role models were in and out of prison all his life. His grandmother and mother fought over Ron and he lived first with one and then with the other. He was teased and became involved in fights at school. His grandmother tied him to the bed after these fights. He was frequently involved in juvenile court and lived in boys' homes and halfway houses starting at age 9. He regularly ran away to avoid the beatings, fighting, rapes, and murders at homes and in the institutions. He married in 1971, became a parent, and became involved in drinking and crime. He robbed a convenience store and murdered the clerk in 1981 while under the influence of drugs. He gave up his appeals in 1984. He stays in a solitary cell and says that he is ready to die to shock the public into seeing the gruesome reality of capital punishment. He says that the cells are filthy and the isolation is extreme. He urges youth to focus on education, talk to people if they have a problem, and avoid thinking that they are tough and that it is acceptable to become involved in crime.