Apologies from Death Row

Apologies from Death Row

Author: Judy Eaton

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2023-10-31

Total Pages: 95

ISBN-13: 1003826652

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Apologies from Death Row explores the notion of remorse, apologies, and forgiveness within the context of capital punishment in the United States, through the final words of offenders on death row, and the covictims’ responses to them in their statements to the press after witnessing the execution. The book demonstrates that there is evidence that some offenders on death row are truly remorseful and that some of the family members of their victims could benefit from this remorse, but that this is unlikely in the current system of capital punishment. Drawing from the fields of criminology, psychology, and sociology, the book begins with a theoretically informed introduction to the concepts of remorse and forgiveness, followed by an exploration of apology and forgiveness specifically in the context of capital punishment. It discusses how some initiatives within the criminal justice system, such as apology laws and restorative justice programmes, are being used to make it easier for offenders to apologize to their victims. Offenders on death row are considered, addressing why they might or might not apologize, and whether they are even capable of showing true remorse. The book then considers the family members of their victims ("covictims"), addressing whether they benefit from hearing the offender express remorse and witnessing the execution, and whether forgiveness is possible in this context. Evidence to support the arguments presented in the book come from the offenders’ final words and the covictims’ responses to them in their statements to the press. The book dispels two common myths about the death penalty. First, it shows that offenders on death row are not simply "monsters" who are incapable of understanding the severity of their crimes. Second, it provides evidence that, despite the popular belief that the death penalty is necessary in order to provide closure for the victims’ family members, it may actually have the opposite effect. The family members’ statements to the press after witnessing the execution contain more negative themes like anger and disappointment than positive themes like closure and peace. The book concludes with a discussion of the implications this has for systems of justice in general, and how a better understanding of the emotional state of offenders can help both victims and offenders. Apologies from Death Row will be of great interest to students and scholars of Criminology, Psychology, and Sociology.


The Sun Does Shine

The Sun Does Shine

Author: Anthony Ray Hinton

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Published: 2018-03-27

Total Pages: 270

ISBN-13: 1250124719

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"A powerful, revealing story of hope, love, justice, and the power of reading by a man who spent thirty years on death row for a crime he didn't commit"--


Apology

Apology

Author: Plato Plato

Publisher: Xist Publishing

Published: 2016-03-17

Total Pages: 63

ISBN-13: 1681956942

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Plato's Guide to the Good Life “The unexamined life is not worth living” -Apology, Plato An original account of the speech Socrates makes at the trial in which he is charged with not recognizing the gods recognized by the state, inventing new deities, and corrupting the youth of Athens. This Xist Classics edition has been professionally formatted for e-readers with a linked table of contents. This eBook also contains a bonus book club leadership guide and discussion questions. We hope you’ll share this book with your friends, neighbors and colleagues and can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it. Xist Publishing is a digital-first publisher. Xist Publishing creates books for the touchscreen generation and is dedicated to helping everyone develop a lifetime love of reading, no matter what form it takes


The Decline of the Death Penalty and the Discovery of Innocence

The Decline of the Death Penalty and the Discovery of Innocence

Author: Frank R. Baumgartner

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2008-01-07

Total Pages: 10

ISBN-13: 1139469207

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Since 1996, death sentences in America have declined by more than 60 percent, reversing a generation-long trend toward greater acceptance of capital punishment. In theory, most Americans continue to support the death penalty. But it is no longer seen as a theoretical matter. Prosecutors, judges, and juries across the country have moved in large numbers to give much greater credence to the possibility of mistakes - mistakes that in this arena are potentially fatal. The discovery of innocence, documented in this book through painstaking analyses of media coverage and with newly developed methods, has led to historic shifts in public opinion and to a sharp decline in use of the death penalty by juries across the country. A social cascade, starting with legal clinics and innocence projects, has snowballed into a national phenomenon that may spell the end of the death penalty in America.


Last Words of the Executed

Last Words of the Executed

Author: Robert K. Elder

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2010-05-15

Total Pages: 315

ISBN-13: 0226202690

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Some beg for forgiveness. Others claim innocence. At least three cheer for their favorite football teams. Death waits for us all, but only those sentenced to death know the day and the hour—and only they can be sure that their last words will be recorded for posterity. Last Words of the Executed presents an oral history of American capital punishment, as heard from the gallows, the chair, and the gurney. The product of seven years of extensive research by journalist Robert K. Elder, the book explores the cultural value of these final statements and asks what we can learn from them. We hear from both the famous—such as Nathan Hale, Joe Hill, Ted Bundy, and John Brown—and the forgotten, and their words give us unprecedented glimpses into their lives, their crimes, and the world they inhabited. Organized by era and method of execution, these final statements range from heartfelt to horrific. Some are calls for peace or cries against injustice; others are accepting, confessional, or consoling; still others are venomous, rage-fueled diatribes. Even the chills evoked by some of these last words are brought on in part by the shared humanity we can’t ignore, their reminder that we all come to the same end, regardless of how we arrive there. Last Words of the Executed is not a political book. Rather, Elder simply asks readers to listen closely to these voices that echo history. The result is a riveting, moving testament from the darkest corners of society.


Last Meal

Last Meal

Author: Jacquelyn C. Black

Publisher:

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781567512403

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

What would your last meal be?


Restorative Justice Dialogue

Restorative Justice Dialogue

Author: Mark Umbreit, PhD

Publisher: Springer Publishing Company

Published: 2010-06-22

Total Pages: 347

ISBN-13: 0826122590

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"Although Restorative Justice Dialogue is not a long text, it is an impressive achievement. Each chapter is rich in content, as Umbreit and Armour blend theory, practice, empirical research, and case studies to discuss a range of topics from specific models of restorative justice to the role of facilitators in restorative justice dialogue." --PsycCRITIQUES "Restorative Justice Dialogue presents a thorough and comprehensive explanation and assessment of the current state of restorative justice in the world." --Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics "[A]n evidence-based description of the history, practices, and future of restorative dialogue that is informed by the values and principles of law, social work, and spirituality. This is an impressive achievement." --Daniel W. Van NessPrison Fellowship International, Washington, DC "I know of no other book that provides such a complete review of the various and emerging restorative practices and the phenomenal growth of this movement worldwide." --David Karp, PhDSkidmore College "The combination of two outstanding and widely recognized restorative justice researchers, practitioners, and authors has produced a text that is destined to be a major resource." --Katherine Van Wormer, PhDUniversity of Northern Iowa This book provides a comprehensive foundation for understanding restorative justice and its application worldwide to numerous social issues. Backed by reviews of empirical research and case examples, the authors describe the core restorative justice practices, including victim-offender mediation, family group conferencing, and peacemaking circles, as well as cultural considerations, emerging variations in a wide variety of settings, and the crucial role of the facilitator. Together, authors Umbreit and Armour bring the latest empirical research and clinical wisdom to those invested in the research and practice of restorative justice. Key topics: Spiritual components of restorative justice Victim-offender mediation Family group conferencing Peacemaking circles Victim-offender dialogue in crimes of severe violence Dimensions of culture in restorative justice Humanistic mediation Application to domestic violence, higher education, and incarceration


Dead Man Walking

Dead Man Walking

Author: Helen Prejean

Publisher: Vintage

Published: 2011-02-02

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 0307787699

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A profoundly moving spiritual journey through our system of capital punishment and an unprecedented look at the human consequences of the death penalty • "Stunning moral clarity.” —The Washington Post Book World • Basis for the award-winning major motion picture starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn "Sister Prejean is an excellent writer, direct and honest and unsentimental. . . . She almost palpably extends a hand to her readers.” —The New York Times Book Review In 1982, Sister Helen Prejean became the spiritual advisor to Patrick Sonnier, the convicted killer of two teenagers who was sentenced to die in the electric chair of Louisiana’s Angola State Prison. In the months before Sonnier’s death, the Roman Catholic nun came to know a man who was as terrified as he had once been terrifying. She also came to know the families of the victims and the men whose job it was to execute—men who often harbored doubts about the rightness of what they were doing. Out of that dreadful intimacy comes a profoundly moving spiritual journey through our system of capital punishment. Here Sister Helen confronts both the plight of the condemned and the rage of the bereaved, the fears of a society shattered by violence and the Christian imperative of love. On its original publication in 1993, Dead Man Walking emerged as an unprecedented look at the human consequences of the death penalty. Now, some two decades later, this story—which has inspired a film, a stage play, an opera and a musical album—is more gut-wrenching than ever, stirring deep and life-changing reflection in all who encounter it.


Crimson Letters: Voices from Death Row

Crimson Letters: Voices from Death Row

Author: Tessie Castillo

Publisher: Black Rose Writing

Published: 2020-03-12

Total Pages: 245

ISBN-13: 1684334446

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Through thirty compelling essays written in the prisoners’ own words, Crimson Letters: Voices from Death Row offers stories of brutal beatings inside juvenile hall, botched suicide attempts, the terror of the first night on Death Row, the pain of goodbye as a friend is led to execution, and the small acts of humanity that keep hope alive for men living in the shadow of death. Each carefully crafted personal essay illuminates the complex stew of choice and circumstance that brought four men to Death Row and the cycle of dehumanization and brutality that continues inside prison. At times the men write with humor, at times with despair, at times with deep sensitivity, but always with keen insight and understanding of the common human experience that binds us.


Until I Could Be Sure

Until I Could Be Sure

Author: George H. Ryan

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2020-09-18

Total Pages: 277

ISBN-13: 1538134551

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In January 2000, Illinois Governor George Ryan declared a moratorium on executions—the first such action by any governor in the history of the United States. Despite a long history as a death penalty proponent, Ryan was emotionally moved after allowing an execution in 1999. He was also profoundly disturbed by the state’s history—12 men had been executed and 13 had been exonerated since the return of the death penalty in Illinois in 1977. More had been proven innocent than had been executed. Three years later, in 2003, Ryan pardoned four death row inmates based on their actual innocence and then commuted the death sentences of 167 men and women. This was the largest death row commutation in U.S. history. At that time, 12 states and the District of Columbia barred the death penalty. His actions breathed new life into the movement to abolish the death penalty in the United States. Over the next 15 years, Illinois and seven other states would abolish the death penalty—New Jersey, Maryland, New Mexico, Connecticut, Delaware, New York and Washington. Today, the push to reform the criminal justice system has never been stronger in America, a nation that incarcerates more men and women than any other country in the world and also wrongfully convicts hundreds of men and women. Although the number of executions carried out every year continues to drop in the U.S., the death penalty still exists in 31 states. Moreover, in some non-death penalty states, factions seek to reinstate it. Until I Could Be Sure: How I Stopped the Death Penalty in Illinois is, in his own words, the story of George Ryan’s journey from death penalty proponent to death penalty opponent. His story continues to resonate today. He defied the political winds and endured the fury and agony of the families of the victims and the condemned as well as politicians, prosecutors and law enforcement. It is a story of courage and faith. It is a timely reminder of the heroic acts of a Republican Governor who was moved by conscience, his faith and a disturbing factual record of death row exonerations.