Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account Of The Death Penalty In The United States (Paperback)

by Helen Prejean (Author) "When Chava Colon from the Prison Coalition asks me one January day in 1982 to become a pen pal to a death-row inmate, I say,..." (more)
Key Phrases: black knitted hat, white metal door, heavy mesh screen, New Orleans, Robert Willie, Pardon Board (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
A Catholic nun's compelling polemic against capital punishment.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Prejean, a Catholic nun, has written a moral indictment of capital punishment. This book is the result of her visits to two death-row inmates at the Louisiana State Penitentiary where she serves as a spiritual advisor. Although she documents the inequalities of the judicial system that has condemned these men, her main point is that if society is to inflict this extreme punishment, it should, itself, be perfect. Needless to say, it is not. Opponents of the death penalty will find reinforcement for their cause here. The general reader, however, will probably find the book too narrow in focus, too self-righteous. Prejean writes well, but her material will not attract the wide audience she wants. An optional purchase.
- Frances Sandiford, Green Haven Correctional Facility Lib., Stormville, N.Y.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; 1st Vintage Books ed edition (May 31, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679751319
• ISBN-13: 978-0679751311
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,612 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #8 in	Books > Nonfiction > Crime & Criminals > Penology
  #21 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Law > Criminal Law
  #22 in	Books > Nonfiction > Law > Criminal Law

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Awakening of the Conscience, September 29, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

When I started reading this book some years ago, I was staunchly for the death penalty. On the other side, I was staunchly opposed. Such is the power and vibrancy of Helen Prejean's writing. She takes you inside the prison walls, inside the mind of the men who commit these desperate acts, the lives they've destroyed by these acts, and the long trek out of the dark night of evil. For some, the journey ends in forgiveness, for others in a hatred and an emptiness. This book will make this sort of crime and punishment real to anyone that reads it, and whatever opinion formed afterwards will be a better-informed one.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!, June 29, 2000

By	David Segrove "DinA" (Cave Creek, AZ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What makes this book so intense is that you know it's real. It is well written, descriptive without being overbearing and detatched enough to give you a fair perspective. The movie runs along similar lines as the book, except the method of execution, and the book delves into far more detail, as you would expect. Although an anti-death penalty activist, Helen Prejean has not written a anti-death penalty book. It's a straightforward narrative that draws the reader in and doesn't let go. She is a very talented lady and you feel a huge respect for what she does. Very compelling reading.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It changed my mind!, November 22, 1999

By A Customer

I had the pleasure of meeting sister Helen quite a few times, and she was an inspiring woman. I have to admit, that before meeting her I had no interest in reviewing my opinion on the death penelty, but after sitting through a few seminars of hers, i decided to read the book. What I found was an inspiring account of friendship between Helen and the inmates, and Helen and the families of the victims. This book rang with truth. It was very informative as well. After reading the book and meeting the amazing woman behind it, I began going to candlelight vigils at Angola(the prison in the book), the night of execution. I now believe completely in her cause, and reccomend this book to anyone who is at all interested in capital punishment, or even human nature.