NEW RESOURCE: Murdering Myths — The Story Behind the Death Penalty

Murdering Myths: The Story Behind the Death Penalty, a new book by Judith W. Kay, uses the personal experiences of both crime victims’ families and those on death row to examine America’s beliefs about crime and punishment. Noting that researchers have raised questions about the execution of innocent people, racial bias in sentencing, and capital punishment’s failure to act as a deterrent, Kay asks why Americans still support the death penalty. She uses interviews with those most closely impacted by violent crime and capital punishment to examine whether punishment corrects bad behavior, suffering pays for wrong deeds, and if the victims’ desire for revenge is natural and inevitable. Kay is an associate professor of religion at the University of Puget Sound. (“Murdering Myths: The Story Behind the Death Penalty,” Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., June 2005). See Books. See also, Victims.