Bibliography, Media & Data
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Books
Acker, James R. & Karp, David Reed (2006). Wounds That Do Not Bind: Victim-Based Perspectives on the Death Penalty. Carolina Academic Press.
https://cap-press.com/books/isbn/9781594600807
Bergner, Daniel (1999). God of the Rodeo: The Quest for Redemption in Louisiana’s Angola Prison. Ballantine Books.
https://www.danielbergner.com/god-of-the-rodeo
Bessler, John D. (2017). The Death Penalty as Torture: From the Dark Ages to Abolition. Carolina Academic Press.
https://cap-press.com/books/isbn/9781611639261
Bessler, John D. Cruel and Unusual: The American Death Penalty and the Founders’ Eighth Amendment. Northeastern University Press.
https://www.upne.com/TOC/TOC_1555537166.html
Bright, Stephen B. & Kwak, J. (2025). The Fear of Too Much Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Persistence of Inequality in the Criminal Courts. The New Press.
https://thenewpress.com/books/fear-of-too-much-justice
Camus, Albert (1960). Resistance, Rebellion and Death. Alfred A. Knopf.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/23465
Cook, Kimberly J. (2022). Shattered Justice: Crime Victims’ Experiences with Wrongful Convictions and Exonerations. Rutgers University Press.
https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/shattered-justice/9781978820357/
Cushing, R. R. & Sheffer, S. (2002). Dignity Denied: The Experience of Murder Victims’ Family Members Who Oppose the Death Penalty. Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation.
http://www.mvfhr.org/sites/default/files/pdf/dignitydenied.pdf
Duncan, Calvin & Cull, Sophie. (2025) A Voice Within These Walls: The Education of a Jailhouse Lawyer. Penguin Press.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/771367
Garland, David. (2012). Peculiar Institution: America’s Death Penalty in the Age of Abolition. Harvard University Press.
https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674066106
Grisham, John (2007). The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town. Random House.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/72158
Grünewald, Catherine Anyango & Taivassalo, Hannele Mikaela (2018). Scandorama (Swedish). Förlaget.
https://forlaget.com/bocker/scandorama/
Grünewald, Catherine Anyango & Mairowitz, David Zane (2017). Heart of Darkness. Self Made Hero.
https://www.selfmadehero.com/books/heart-of-darkness
King, Gilbert (2008). The Execution of Willie Francis. Basic Civitas.
http://www.gilbertking.com/the-execution-of-willie-francis/
Malkani, Bharat (2018). Slavery and the Death Penalty: A Study in Abolition. Routledge.
Moore, Graham (2017). The Last Days of Night – A novel. Penguin Random House.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/532572
Morris, Debbie (2000). Forgiving the Dead Man Walking: Only One Woman Can Tell the Entire Story. Zondervan.
https://www.zondervan.com/9780310260431/forgiving-the-dead-man-walking/
Oshinsky, David. (1997). Worse Than Slavery: Parchman Farm and the Ordeal of Jim Crow Justice. Free Press.
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Worse-Than-Slavery/David-M-Oshinsky/9780684830957
Prejean, Helen (1993). Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States. Random House.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/133674
Prejean, Helen (2005). The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions. Random House.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/133676
Prejean, Helen (2019). River of Fire: On Becoming an Activist. Random House.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/133675
Rideau, Wilbert (2010). In the Place of Justice: A Story of Punishment and Deliverance. Alfed A. Knopf.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/154190
Steiker, Carol S. & Steiker, Jordan M. (2016). Courting Death: The Supreme Court and Capital Punishment. Harvard University Press.
https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674737426
Stevenson, Bryan. (2014). Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption. Spiegel & Grau.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/224792
Von Drehle, David. (2010). Among the Lowest of the Dead: The Culture of Capital Punishment. University of Michigan Press.
https://press.umich.edu/Books/A/Among-the-Lowest-of-the-Dead2
Articles & Essays
Chammah, M. (2023, March 2). The Mercy Workers. The Marshall Project.
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/03/02/death-penalty-mitigation-specialists-rare-look
Cushing, Robert Renny & Sheffer, Susannah (2002) Dignity Denied: The Experience of Murder Victims’ Family Members Who Oppose the Death Penalty. Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation.
http://www.mvfhr.org/sites/default/files/pdf/dignitydenied.pdf
Pan, Deanna & Hawes, Jennifer Berry (2018, March 25). An Undying Mystery. The Post and Courier.
Sexton, J. (2024, September 17). The Hardest Case for Mercy: Inside the Effort to Spare the Parkland School Shooter. The Marshall Project.
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2024/09/17/school-shooting-death-penalty-parkland-nikolas-cruz
Segura, L. & Smith, J. (2023, May 10). The “Power, Pride, and Politics” Behind the Drive to Execute Richard Glossip. The Intercept.
https://theintercept.com/2023/05/10/richard-glossip-execution-stay/
Film
13th. Directed by Ava DuVernay, Kandoo Films, 2016. Netflix.
https://www.netflix.com/title/80091741
Dead Man Walking. Directed by Tim Robbins, 1995. Havoc Polygram Filmed Entertainment & Working Title Films.
Killing Richard Glossip. Directed by Joe Berlinger, Investigation Discovery, 2017. Discovery+.
https://www.discoveryplus.com/show/killing-richard-glossip
Sister. Directed by Joe Cardona and José L. Vázquez, Royal Palm Films, 2015. Vimeo.
Podcasts & Soundtracks
Bianculli, David, host. “Sister Helen Prejean On Witnessing Executions: ‘I Couldn't Let Them Die Alone’ .” Fresh Air, NPR, 14 Aug. 2020.
https://www.npr.org/2020/08/14/902522133
Heggie, Jake, composer & McNally, Terrance, librettist. San Francisco Opera live recording of Dead Man Walking. Erato. 2001.
Heggie, Jake, composer & McNally, Terrance, librettist. Houston Grand Opera presents Dead Man Walking. Virgin Classics. 2012.
Milligan, Kate, host. “Sister Helen: Walking With People on Death Row.” 1 Girl Revolution. 2020.
https://1girlrevolution.com/sister-helen
Springsteen, Bruce et al. Dead Man Walking: Music From and Inspired by the Motion Picture. Columbia Records. 1996.
Cases mentioned
Atkins v. Virginia, 536 U.S. 304 (2002)
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/536/304/
Baze v. Rees, 553 U.S. 35 (2008)
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/553/35/
Bucklew v. Precythe, 587 U.S. 119 (2019)
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/587/17-8151/case.pdf
Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (1972)
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/408/238/
Glossip v. Gross, 576 U.S. 863 (2015)
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/576/863/
Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153 (1976)
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/428/153/
Kansas v. Marsh, 548 U.S. 163 (2006)
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/548/163/
Kennedy v. Louisiana, 554 U.S. 407 (2008)
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/554/407/
McCleskey v. Kemp, 481 U.S. 279 (1987)
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/481/279/
Oregon v. Guzek, 546 U.S. 517 (2006)
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/546/517/
Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551 (2005)
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/543/551/
Trop v. Dulles, 356 U.S. 86 (1958)
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/356/86/
Wilkerson v. Utah, 99 U.S. 130 (1878)
Data
Historical Gallup Polls on death penalty
https://news.gallup.com/poll/1606/death-penalty.aspx
Louisiana Department of Corrections Demographic Dashboard
https://doc.louisiana.gov/demographic-dashboard/
Death Penalty Information Center’s Execution Database
https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/database/executions
Witness to Innocence: Facts About Innocence
Websites
Catherine Anyango Grünewald: http://catherine-anyango.com
Catholic Mobilizing Network: https://catholicsmobilizing.org/
Death Penalty Information Center: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org
Equal Justice Initiative: https://eji.org
Journey of Hope…From Violence to Healing: https://journeyofhope.org
Ministry Against the Death Penalty (Sr. Helen Prejean’s non-profit organization): https://sisterhelen.org
Parents of Murdered Children: https://pomc.org
Rose Vines: https://rosevines.com
Sr. Helen Prejean Papers, DePaul Special Collections and Archives: https://archives.depaul.edu/repositories/2/resources/289
Victim Connect Resource Center: https://victimconnect.org
Visiting Room Project: https://www.visitingroomproject.org
Witness to Innocence: https://witnesstoinnocence.org