Apologies from Death Row explores the notion of remorse, apologies,
and forgiveness within the context of capital punishment in the United
States, through the final words of offenders on death row, and the
covictims’ responses to them in their statements to the press after
witnessing the execution. The book demonstrates that there is evidence
that some offenders on death row are truly remorseful and that some of
the family members of their victims could benefit from this remorse,
but that this is unlikely in the current system of capital punishment.
Drawing from the fields of criminology, psychology, and sociology, the
book begins with a theoretically informed introduction to the concepts
of remorse and forgiveness, followed by an exploration of apology and
forgiveness specifically in the context of capital punishment. It
discusses how some initiatives within the criminal justice system,
such as apology laws and restorative justice programmes, are being
used to make it easier for offenders to apologize to their victims.
Offenders on death row are considered, addressing why they might or
might not apologize, and whether they are even capable of showing true
remorse. The book then considers the family members of their victims
("covictims"), addressing whether they benefit from hearing the
offender express remorse and witnessing the execution, and whether
forgiveness is possible in this context. Evidence to support the
arguments presented in the book come from the offenders’ final words
and the covictims’ responses to them in their statements to the
press. The book dispels two common myths about the death penalty.
First, it shows that offenders on death row are not simply "monsters"
who are incapable of understanding the severity of their crimes.
Second, it provides evidence that, despite the popular belief that the
death penalty is necessary in order to provide closure for the
victims’ family members, it may actually have the opposite effect.
The family members’ statements to the press after witnessing the
execution contain more negative themes like anger and disappointment
than positive themes like closure and peace. The book concludes with a
discussion of the implications this has for systems of justice in
general, and how a better understanding of the emotional state of
offenders can help both victims and offenders. Apologies from Death
Row will be of great interest to students and scholars of Criminology,
Psychology, and Sociology.
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The Meaning and Consequences of Offender Remorse
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781003826651
Publisert
2023
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Vendor
Routledge
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter