Voices of the Death Penalty Debate: A Citizen's Guide to Capital Punishment

Abstract

This book offers a unique and comprehensive approach to the arguments for and against capital punishment, in the United States and internationally. Using the testimony of witnesses at the historic 2004-2005 New York Death Penalty Hearings, VOICES examines, in detail, the contemporary public policy debate about the theoretical justifications for the death penalty (retribution, deterrence), costs, abuses of prosecutorial discretion, jury functioning, problems of race and mental illness, executing the innocent, and international practices. VOICES presents the testimony of over 100 witnesses from diverse constituencies in the death penalty debate - academics, scientists, public interest groups, lawyers, murder victim families, exonerated death row inmates, writers, law enforcement, public officials and ordinary citizens - in a neutral, non-technical, and objective style that avoids advocacy and emphasizes citizen education. The author provides narrative commentary on the testimony to explain and place it in context. Introductory chapters provide information on death penalty facts and figures, and a primer on basic constitutional principles. The book’s accessibility and readability make it suitable for a wide variety of audiences ranging from law school and college courses to book clubs and the average reader. VOICES is a citizen’s guide that leads the reader to an informed position on this crucial matter of public policy. The Table of Contents, Introduction, and Chapter Six are available to download here.