NCJ Number
143180
Date Published
1990
Length
187 pages
Annotation
The author does not propose an alternative to capital punishment but rather hopes his book will force readers to come to grips intellectually and emotionally with the institutionalized killing process.
Abstract
Capital punishment continues to be a hotly debated subject, and the issue is complicated by changing public opinion. The modern death penalty is a male affair, since less than 1 percent of prisoners awaiting to die are females. In addition, the execution process is distinctly mechanical, impersonal, and ultimately dehumanizing. Killing a human being under the color of law reflects a remarkable, elemental exercise of power, for both offenders and correctional staff who carry out executions. The author presents a historical overview of executions. His discussion of the modern death row covers conditions of confinement, the psychology of "human warehousing" on death row, tensions and fears experienced by correctional personnel who work with death row offenders, and the final hours of offenders who have been sentenced to die. Moral considerations associated with capital punishment are explored, including the issues of torture, dehumanization, what constitutes appropriate punishment for murderers, retribution, and criminal justice system reform. 326 notes and 1 table