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Dead Man Walking
When Helen Prejean is invited to write to a prisoner on Death Row who brutally killed two teenagers, she has little idea how much it will change her life. Although she abhors his crime, she befriends one man as he faces the electric chair. Dead Man Walking is Helen Prejean's gripping true story, which formed the basis for a major motion picture event. As powerful an indi...more
Paperback, 358 pages
Published
October 4th 1996
by Zondervan
(first published 1993)
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This is the story of a serial killer who enslaves people, usually black men, and tortures them by telling them the date the killer plans to execute them and then by keeping them locked in chains until that date, always reminding them of the date’s imminence. Sometimes, the killer tells them that if they are lucky, if the killer likes them enough, they might escape death, but that just seems to increase the torture because the killer doesn’t really plan to let them go. The killer in this book a...more
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First line: When Chava Colon from the Prison Coalition ask me one January in 1982 to become a pen pal to a death-row inmate, I say , Sure.
This simple answer led sister Helen Prejean down a road that shaped her into a spiritual counselor to those on death-row, an activist for victim's rights, and an activist against the death penalty. This book was later made into a movie, but it covers a lot more ground than the movie. Not just her first experience, but others. She also supplies ...more
This simple answer led sister Helen Prejean down a road that shaped her into a spiritual counselor to those on death-row, an activist for victim's rights, and an activist against the death penalty. This book was later made into a movie, but it covers a lot more ground than the movie. Not just her first experience, but others. She also supplies ...more
So, this one has a seriously funny story attached to it, but it also had a huge impact on me at that time in my life. I went out on a first date with a really cute guy, and we went to the movie. I was so troubled by the film (although I loved it), that I cried so much he had to take me home. I couldn't even talk! He surprised me by asking me out again, though. He must have thought I was a lunatic.
The book is very good, and it lives up to the notion that the book is always bett...more
The book is very good, and it lives up to the notion that the book is always bett...more
I don't think you can read this book and continue to support the death penalty. Sister Helen Prejean's account of her personal experience is compelling, but when augmented with her cogent philosophical arguments, firm grasp of statistics and facts, and ability to calmly but firmly entertain and then quash every remotely plausible counterargument, the result will transform the way you think not only about this pressing political issue, but about punishment, humanity, and forgiveness. I think it...more
I've had this book for some time now, hesitant to read it because it's written by a nun. Nine years of Catholic school can mess a person up when it comes to nuns.
But then the Troy Davis execution happened, and my anger and frustration was too much for me. So I picked up the book.
I'm extraordinarily wishy-washy when it comes to the death penalty. A great part of me doesn't think 12 people have the right to decide the death of another human being. And considering how much w...more
But then the Troy Davis execution happened, and my anger and frustration was too much for me. So I picked up the book.
I'm extraordinarily wishy-washy when it comes to the death penalty. A great part of me doesn't think 12 people have the right to decide the death of another human being. And considering how much w...more
I have a lot of feelings about this book. I'm so impressed with Sister Prejean and her capacity for love, and I really wish I could be more like her... for Pat, I definitely felt a lot of sadness about his death, and cried and cried. For Willie, I'm not so sure what to think since he appeared to be unapologetic... but there are so many things that go into a person's psyche, and what chain of feelings causes reactions.. this is one reason why I feel Jesus asks us not to judge, besides that we are...more
When Sister Helen Prejean accepts a request to exchange letters with a prisoner on death row, she has no idea that it will be the springboard into a life of activism. Her life in Louisiana becomes embroiled with politics and legal proceedings, support groups and protest walks as she commits herself to the anti-death penalty cause.
Dead Man Walking is a memoir and a treatise on the history of the death penalty. She clearly states the side she has taken and the reasons while she feels tha...more
Dead Man Walking is a memoir and a treatise on the history of the death penalty. She clearly states the side she has taken and the reasons while she feels tha...more
this book changed my political views. Prior to reading this, I'd always said that while I was intellectually opposed to the death penalty, if it were my sister who'd been murdered, I wouldn't be opposed in the slightest. After reading this simple, honest, forthright story of a nun's experiences counseling two murderers, I am now completely opposed under any circumstances, even more than 10 years after having read it. (The movie merges the two men in the book into a compilation.)
I found this book interesting and well-written. Sister Prejean writes with to-the-point simplicity, weaving facts and arguments against capital punishment along with narratives of her experiences as spiritual advisor to criminals on Louisiana's death row. The book could've been half as long, I believe, as after her story of inmate Patrick Sonnier she basically repeats the same story regarding Robert Willie with much of the same arguments and information. Still, it's interesting to see how she le...more
This is a reread. It's an important subject. Anyone who is a viable thinking adult should be able to articulate their stand on capital punishment...and it's not enough to say "an eye for an eye". That implied that one eye is equal to another. Not only that, anyone who has ever been involved in a case in the courtroom surely realizes that the judicial process has very little to do with justice. It's all about which lawyer can get the better deal.
Although Prejean is obviously...more
Although Prejean is obviously...more
Death Row. A place for people who've committed crimes to some of the highest degrees are kept here.
A nun by Sister Prejean goes to spiritually advise people on death row.
This novel is descriptive and intelligent. A non-fiction narrative presents a truly unique way of presenting a story line. Going through the book you encounter many actual, real citations from articles and cases in real life. If you like seeing the truth in a book, you will be very interested to re...more
A nun by Sister Prejean goes to spiritually advise people on death row.
This novel is descriptive and intelligent. A non-fiction narrative presents a truly unique way of presenting a story line. Going through the book you encounter many actual, real citations from articles and cases in real life. If you like seeing the truth in a book, you will be very interested to re...more
Sister Prejean describes her experiences with two death row inmates, Pat Sonnier and Robert Wille, both guilty of gruesome murders. By examining both cases and how the court system handled them she makes her case against the death penalty.
Sister Prejean believes the death penalty is immoral in all cases, that the government never has the right to kill under any circumstances. While her own position is so extreme that she has to ignore or dismiss Biblical statements that contradict he...more
Sister Prejean believes the death penalty is immoral in all cases, that the government never has the right to kill under any circumstances. While her own position is so extreme that she has to ignore or dismiss Biblical statements that contradict he...more
I saw about half the movie about two weeks ago, and it peaked my interest to know the whole story. I suppose some people would think Sister Helen a soft hearted woman and think her response to this man typical of a nun, but to me one of the best parts about this account is her wrestling with all the issues the death sentence brings up. The poor are more likely to be given the death penalty, the wierd laws surronding appeals, the political reality of the South, free defense attorneys who literal...more
This is an excellent look at the death penalty from the views of both those who favor it and those who face it. And it must be read to fully appreciate its stance; a few paragraphs of summary cannot do this book justice, no matter what your opinions are. But, in summary, victims' families and convicted inmates find a steadfast ally in Sister Helen Prejean, who wants to help resolve the hardest issues both sides face. With unerring logic and a reel of disappointing statistics, Sister Prejean l...more
I read this book a few years ago. I'd seen the film in college as an undergrad, and while I was in divinity school, Sister Helen Prejean came as a speaker. I was so moved listening to her, and at the end of her talk, she mentioned they'd be selling her books and that all the profits would go to this anti-death penalty coalition. Well, I am and have always been against the death penalty, and the opportunity to support a cause I believed in as well as to get what I imagined to be a good book wa...more
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Picked this up at a garage sale. I had seen the movie and just thought it would be an interesting read. Now of course I want to see the movie again so I can see what they changed--did they combine Pat Sonnier's and Robert Willie's stories into one Sean Penn character, or was Sean Penn supposed to be just one of them? I'm guessing the screenplay combined them into a composite character. I will look it up after I write this review....too lazy to do it first. Edited to add: Indeed the movie c...more
This reminded me of all the reasons I was a Christian. I enjoyed the narrative, but mostly, I enjoyed this radical compassion. In quoting Dorothy Day early on, Sister Helen sums up her life's mission: "Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable". Sister Helen Prejean has sass and power in her words, and her warmth shines through all of her words: "I try to articulate what I personally believe about Jesus and the ethical thrust he gave to humankind: an impetus toward com...more
Great book about the death penalty and those condemned to it. Sister Helen presents material regarding men on death row, but does not lose sight of the effects of the crimes committed by these men. It would be interesting to hear how this book affects various readers views on the death penalty. As on who is against it, it solidifies my view. However, I'm not convinced this book would convince those who are on the fence about it. I think that is a positive, in that Sister Helen is not on a s...more
This book is about a woman's fight against the death penalty. It supplies you with a lot of interesting information about the process, and helps connect multiple perspectives.
I've always been moderately against the death penalty, but I never expected what would happen while reading this book. My friend was shot and murdered by a gang member in Chicago. Honestly, at that time I wanted to kill the person who did that to him myself.
It let me think about the content on a...more
I've always been moderately against the death penalty, but I never expected what would happen while reading this book. My friend was shot and murdered by a gang member in Chicago. Honestly, at that time I wanted to kill the person who did that to him myself.
It let me think about the content on a...more
As an undergraduate my university's theater department did this play and invited Sister Helen Prejean to speak after the play was over. I was moved by both the play and even more by the words and wisdom of Sister Prejean and I can't believe I waited this long to read the book. Sister Prejean presents the moral and ethical arguments against the death penalty while still remaining mindful of the victims and their families. The issues and cases she discusses are haunting and gruesome but I very muc...more
“That, I believe, is what it’s going to take to abolish the death penalty in this country: we must persuade the American people that government killings are too costly for us, not only financially, but—more important—morally. “
Growing up in a private catholic school, topics such as the death penalty were never brought up. Us as students weren’t interested in anything beyond our small community, let alone politics. It wasn’t until high school that I discovered the importance of understandin...more
Growing up in a private catholic school, topics such as the death penalty were never brought up. Us as students weren’t interested in anything beyond our small community, let alone politics. It wasn’t until high school that I discovered the importance of understandin...more
The death penalty is still used in Singapore and there is no sign that it will be abolished any time soon. The way it is carried out is vastly different from how the U.S. imposes it - there is little room for appeals, re-hearings and the granting of a pardon. Once sentenced, the inmate is hanged fairly quickly.
Reading Dead Man Walking (I haven't seen the movie), it's hard not to compare the situation Sister Helen describes with that in Singapore. One of Sister Helen's more persistent a...more
Reading Dead Man Walking (I haven't seen the movie), it's hard not to compare the situation Sister Helen describes with that in Singapore. One of Sister Helen's more persistent a...more
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Compelling read. I am somewhat suspicious of her statistics but only based on the age of the book and how quickly things change in the world of criminal/penal justice.
That aside, it is a well-written first person account by an intelligent, sensitive Roman Catholic sister of her experiences as the spiritual advisor to two death row inmates. Her frank reactions to the very different personalities of the men allow us, the readers, to sit back and form our own opinions, while examinin...more
That aside, it is a well-written first person account by an intelligent, sensitive Roman Catholic sister of her experiences as the spiritual advisor to two death row inmates. Her frank reactions to the very different personalities of the men allow us, the readers, to sit back and form our own opinions, while examinin...more
Sister Helen Prejean came to speak at the catholic university where I work to deliver the commencement address the year the Sisters of Charity, the order of nuns associated with the school, celebrated their 150th anniversary. She has a fiery presence, an enviable way with words and story telling, an undeniable southern accent, and a deeply harbored belief in working for social justice. Some people criticized her speech afterwards for being too heavy on social justice and light on the skill build...more
I read this book while trying to decide how I really feel about capital punishment. I understand both arguments for and against the death penalty. For now, I have decided that I support life in prison as an option to the electric chair (or lethal injection). It seems that taking another's life just brings more heartache to another family. Not to mention when someone is sentenced to life in prison; the punishment is dealt with then and begins immediately. If someone gets the death penalty; ...more
I don't read lots of non-fiction, but a friend bought me a signed copy of Dead man Walking. I had already seen the movie, so I read the book. The story is compelling, and the experiences of Sister Helen Prejean are worth reading about. But what this book did for me was to get me off the fence. Capital punishment always made me feel a little bit queasy, but I never really spoke out either for or against it, and I certainly was not an activist about it. I am still not an activist by any means, but...more
As heard on NPR's This I Believe.
I already opposed the death penalty before reading this book, so it's hard for me to judge how persuasive it is.
All research shows that the death penalty is not a deterrant. Psychological research clearly shows that in order to be an effective deterrant, a negative reinforcement must swift and certain (and just, Prejean goes on to add, but I'm going to sweep that into certain: if we have 100% coverage, then it's going to be definiti...more
I already opposed the death penalty before reading this book, so it's hard for me to judge how persuasive it is.
All research shows that the death penalty is not a deterrant. Psychological research clearly shows that in order to be an effective deterrant, a negative reinforcement must swift and certain (and just, Prejean goes on to add, but I'm going to sweep that into certain: if we have 100% coverage, then it's going to be definiti...more
This book is simply life-changing. I saw the movie but it took reading this to permanently change my mind about the death penalty. I don't see how anyone can read it and feel the same. You may see the news and think only people like Ted Bundy and Gacy are put to death. Tragically incorrect.
The book tells the story of two Death Row inmates that Prejean counseled. One of them was clearly not guilty. He was put to death anyway. Their stories were combined to make the Sean Penn character ...more
The book tells the story of two Death Row inmates that Prejean counseled. One of them was clearly not guilty. He was put to death anyway. Their stories were combined to make the Sean Penn character ...more
The chronicle of her personal experiences with death-row inmates, Prejean introduces us not only to the prisoners themselves but to the grieving, furious families of their victims; to the people who administer the sentence of death; to the inefficient legal system; and to the expedient, occasionally capricious political choices that determine whether a prisoner will live or die. Dead Man Walking is an extraordinary and thought-provoking book that makes us reexamine some of our most fundamental b...more
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Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ (b. April 21, 1939, Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is a vowed Roman Catholic religious sister, one of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille, who has become a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty.
Her efforts began in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1981, through a correspondence she maintained with a convicted murderer, Elmo Patrick Sonnier, who...more
More about Helen Prejean...
Her efforts began in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1981, through a correspondence she maintained with a convicted murderer, Elmo Patrick Sonnier, who...more
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“There are spaces of sorrow only God can touch.”
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“I keep thinking of the gifts of my own upbringing, which I once took for granted: I can read any book I choose and comprehend it. I can write a complete sentence and punctuate it correctly. If I need help, I can call on judges, attorneys, educators, ministers. I wonder what I would be like if I had grown up without such protections and supports. What cracks would have turned up in my character?”
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