Last words and the death penalty
Subtitle: voices of the condemned and their co-victims
By: Scott Vollum.
Series: Criminal justice recent scholarship; Criminal justice (LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC)
Publisher: LFB Scholarly Pub.; Lfb Scholarly Pub Llc
Published: 2008
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 304
ISBN-13: 9781593322649
Subjects: Death row inmates -- United States -- Biography; Victims of crimes -- United States -- Case studies; Capital punishment -- United States -- Case studies
Genres: Biography.; Case studies.
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.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 285-300) and index.
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.