Last words and the death penalty
Subtitle: voices of the condemned and their co-victims
By: Scott Vollum
Publisher: LFB Scholarly Publishing LCC
Published: 2010
Place of publication: El Paso
Language: eng
Number of pages: 304
ISBN-13: 9781593324360
Copyright date: 2008
Subjects: Capital punishment; Victims of crimes; Death row inmates; Biography; Peine de mort; Condamnés à mort; Biographies
Description: Vollum analyzes the content of the last statements of the condemned and statements made by co-victims; he seek to "give voice" to these two different groups. Vollum finds that the most dominant themes among the condemned center around transformation, redemption, and positive messages of connection to others. The most dominant themes of co-victims are more conflicting with a mix of frustration with the death penalty process, relief that it is over, and the desire for justice or revenge. Through their own words, we learn that the death penalty is neither a soothing salve for the pain and suffering of co-victims nor simply an extraction of evil and irredeemable criminals.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: The human context of the death penalty; title: Restorative justice and the death penalty; title: Giving voice to the condemned and their victims; title: Data and methodology; title: Last statements of the condemned; title: Co-victim statements; title: Discussion and conclusion.