Thus, seeking a better way to judge murderers, I looked not only in law books, but in Lorton Central. A thick scar snakes around Itchy's neck, the remains of a legendary confrontation when he was serving an earlier sentence at 19. Unarmed and naked in the prison shower, he was attacked by three guys wielding a knife, a razor and an ice pick. When I first met him 30 years later, Itchy, prison boxing coach and law librarian, was a role model for tough old convicts and a magnet for the youngsters inside. And, for the next 13 years, an invaluable source of insight for me.
Many convicts categorically denounce the death penalty, or any other punishment, for that matter.
Over the years, I have tried to put their opinions and insights in context, to examine them through a coherent moral and legal lens. But that is not necessarily true. As the older, professional stickup boys like Itchy emphatically assert, the more important moral distinction to make is whether or not the victim was resisting. But, then, not all witnesses are alike. It's the same thing with us.