Books
- Dead Man Walking and The Death of Innocents by Sister Helen Prejean
- Capital Consequences — Families of the Condemned Tell Their Stories by Rachel King
- The Death Penalty on Trial by Bill Curtis
- The Final Escape by David Paul Hammer, currently on death row at the United States Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind.
- Conscience and Consequences, A Prison Memoirby Clare Hanrahan
Statements
Read the following excerpts for statements from other women religious in opposition to the death penalty.
Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ
- Would Jesus pull the switch?
- Sympathy for the devil: Sister Helen Prejean talks about the condemned men who inspired “Dead Man Walking”
- Angel on Death Row
Websites
The following Web sites may be useful for those wanting to learn more about the death penalty and prison reform. For more general resources that may also tie in with prison issues, see the resources section.
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is an agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. Find information about current programs available for inmates. www.bop.gov
National Institute of Corrections
The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons. On their Web site can be found state-by-state prison statistics. www.nicic.org
Amnesty International – Death Penalty
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of the nature of the crime, the characteristics of the offender, or the method used by the state to kill the prisoner. www.amnesty.org/en/death-penalty
ACLU Capital Punishment Project
The Capital Punishment Project (CPP) challenges the unfairness and arbitrariness of capital punishment while working toward the ultimate goal of abolishing the death penalty. www.aclu.org/capital/index.html
Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation
Founded in 1976, Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation (MVFR) is a national organization of family members of victims of both homicide and executions who oppose the death penalty in all cases. www.mvfr.org
Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM)
FAMM is the national voice for fair and proportionate sentencing laws. They seek to shine a light on the human face of sentencing, advocate for state and federal sentencing reform, and mobilize thousands of individuals and families whose lives are adversely affected by unjust sentences. www.famm.org
Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE)
CURE is a grassroots organization founded in Texas in 1972. They believe that prisons should be used only for those who absolutely must be incarcerated and that those who are incarcerated should have all of the resources they need to turn their lives around. www.curenational.org
Campaign to End the Death Penalty
The Campaign to End the Death Penalty (CEDP) is the only national membership-driven, chapter-based grassroots organization dedicated to the abolition of capital punishment in the United States. www.nodeathpenalty.org
Catholics Against Capital Punishment (CACP)
CACP strives to insure that members of the clergy and laypeople — both Catholic and non-Catholic — are aware of, and understand the seriousness of, Church teachings on capital punishment. www.cacp.org