Publications & Testimony

Reggie Wilkinson, who witnessed 19 executions during his 33 years with the Ohio Department of Corrections, recently stated that he would like to see executions ended in the state. Wilkinson, who served for 15 years as Director of the Department of Corrections and advocated for abandoning the state’s electric chair and replacing it with lethal injection, noted, “I would not oppose the abolition of the death penalty. The United States is the only industrialized nation in the world with the death…

In a recent Dallas Morning News editorial, the paper noted the incongruity between the state apologizing to a prison inmate who was freed following DNA testing, and its aggressive pursuit of irrevocable executions. The paper stated that “human error is an inherent part” of the justice system and called on legislators to enact a moratorium on executions until the state can review the accuracy and fairness of its capital punishment process, because “For the condemned, evidence of an error could…

Corrections: A Contemporary Introduction is a new academic text being released by Allyn & Bacon publishers. Authored by Leanne F. Alarid of the University of Texas and Philip L. Reichel of the University of Northern Colorado, this resource offers a thorough examination of all aspects of the corrections area in a graphically rich format. It offers students the opportunity to think critically about the future of this field. The textbook features a chapter on Capital Punishment, along with many…

Members of the North Carolina House Select Committee on Capital Punishment heard repeated calls for a halt to executions in the state during a recent hearing attended by victims’ family members, religious leaders, and other citizens. Among those testifying at the hearing was Shirley Burns, the mother of a son who is awaiting execution at the end the January and a second son who was murdered in April 2006. “How many have had to sit on both sides of the table? I had to come to grips with myself,”…

A recent poll administered by the Center for Survey Research at Penn State Harrisburg revealed that more Pennsylvanians prefer a life sentence over the death penalty for those convicted of murder. The poll found that only 42.9% of respondents chose the death penalty when also given the sentencing options of life with parole and life without parole. A total of 45% of respondents chose either life-without-parole (35.5%) or the sentence of life-with-parole (9.6%). Larry Frankel, legislative…

Victims’ advocates and prosecutors are urging Texas legislators to exclude the death penalty from new legislation designed to toughen penalties for repeat child molesters. Those opposed to the measure fear that threatening death sentences for sex offenders could lead to fewer reported cases of sex crimes and might even give incentive to offenders to kill their victims to prevent the child from testifying in court. Annette Burrhus-Clay, executive director of the Texas Association Against Sexual…

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on January 5 to hear another death penalty case from Texas, this one involving a defendant who may be mentally incompetent. In 1986, the Supreme Court held that it is unconstitutional to execute an inmate who is presently insane. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5^th Circuit ruled that Scott Panetti, who was allowed to defend himself in his Texas trial despite his schizophrenia and 14 stints in mental hospitals, and who says the devil compelled his actions, was…

An editorial published by the Lexington Herald-Leader noted that support for Kentucky’s death penalty has declined since the state resumed executions a decade ago. The paper stated that 68% of state residents questioned in a recent poll preferred a long prison sentence over execution for those convicted of murder. The Herald-Leader concluded that Kentuckians’ growing unease about capital punishment is reflective of a broader national trend away from the death penalty and that the death penalty…

Professor Matthew Robinson of Applachian State University has written a new book entitled Death Nation: The Experts Explain American Capital Punishment. This book provides a solid yet brief background on the major issues pertaining to capital punishment in the United States. It covers topics such as the history of the death penalty in America, American death penalty law, justifications for capital punishment, as well as alleged problems with its practice. The book also presents a study of…