Dr. Allen Ault was the warden at the maximum security prison in Georgia where executions were carried out. He also served as Commissioner of Corrections during a lifetime career in the field. He is currently the Dean of the College of Justice & Safety at Eastern Kentucky University. In the video accompanying this note, Dean Ault discusses the tremendous drain that carrying out executions had, and continues to have, on his life. He added, "I know I'm not the only one who has administered executions that felt the way I do. They all have shed a lot of tears." He questions the value of the death penalty, and recognizes the difficulty that many politicians have in challenging this punishment, despite its obvious flaws. With respect to deterrence, he said, "I have a hard time believing that using pre-meditated murder and violence (executions), is a way to model behavior that would deter somebody else from doing it." The video was made at the end of a six-week course on the death penalty at EKU and contains answers to questions that the students raised. To view the video (21 minutes), click here.
On September 9, The Bob Edwards Show on Sirius XM Radio interviewed Stephen Bright and Nina Morrison regarding the case of Troy Anthony Davis. Edwards is the award-winning former host of National Public Radio's "Morning Edition." The show offered this introduction: 
In 1984, Juan Melendez was sent to Florida's death row for the murder of Delbert Baker even though no physical evidence linked him to the crime. In 2002, he was released with all charges vacated after it was found that prosecutors had withheld critical evidence in the case. He became the 99th person exonerated in the United States since 1976, and the 20th from Florida. As of today, 135 people have been exonerated. Juan Melendez - 6446 is a documentary released as part of the HBO-sponsored 10th Annual New York International Latino Film Festival. Director Luis Rosario Albert tells Melendez' story through his own words and the words of his family, friends and lawyers - the story of a migrant Puerto Rican farm worker sent to death row for a crime he didn't commit. It also brings into play legal issues between the United States and Puerto Rico in application of the death penalty. More information, including the film's trailer, can be found 
If you would like to listen to a brief but informative discussion of key death penalty issues, try DPIC’s newest resource--Podcasts. The most recent episode of this educational series explores the issue of the 
Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis was scheduled to be executed numerous times in 2008, but each date was stayed. His case is currently under review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. International interest has continued to mount because of concerns about his possible innocence. Most recently, Amnesty International has assisted in preparing a multimedia presentation about his case with the music group "State Radio." The video may be viewed 
“The Two Lives of Napoleon Beazley” is a new play by John Fleming that explores the true story of a 17-year-old African-American defendant who was sentenced to death for a carjacking and murder in Texas. The victim was the father of a federal judge. Using a variety of factual resources, including court transcripts and media accounts, the play examines race and the criminal justice system before the Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that the death penalty for juveniles violates the Constitution. 
National Public Radio (NPR) recently featured a segment in its StoryCorps series in which a father describes how he came to forgive the man who murdered his daughter. Patricia Nuckles was murdered by Ivan Simpson in 2001 when she caught him robbing her home. Though devastated by his daughter’s murder, Hector Black wanted to learn more about his daughter’s killer. 