Overview

The press called Martin's actions a ""crime spree."" Terrified that his son would be sentenced to die, Martin's father Phillip committed suicide; ironically, the jury, moved by this desperate act, spared Martin's life. Phillip's story, like those of the other parents, siblings, children, and cousins chronicled here, vividly illustrates the precarious position occupied by capital offenders' families. Living in the shadow of death, they are crushed by trauma, grief, and helplessness. In this penetrating account of guilt and innocence, shame and triumph, devastating loss and ultimate redemption, their voices add a new dimension to the debate about capital punishment. These narratives are woven together by restorative justice theory, which holds offenders accountable while searching for ways to mend the communities and lives torn apart by their crimes and integrating offenders' families into the process of promoting justice and healing. What emerges from myriad in-depth interviews with offenders' and victims' families, legal teams, and leaders in the abolition and restorative justice movements is a vision of justice rooted in the social fabric of communities, showing that forgiveness and recovery are possible even after terrible crimes. While holding victims' stories sacred, this eye-opening book bridges the pain of living in the shadow of death with the possibility of a reparative form of justice. Anyone working with victims, offenders, and their families - from lawyers and social workers to mediators and activists - will find it indispensable to their efforts.

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9780195375695

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Reviews

<br> Well written and compelling, this book is not for the faint of heart or for those who cannot accept the realities of social policy that is iatrogenic rather than healing, but it is a must read for those who desire justice for all those affected by the use of the death penalty. --Choice (Outstanding Academic Book, 2007)<br> A compelling study of how capital punishment affects the lives of families members of men and women who are on Death Row in the United States...The authors detail innovative methods of countering the institutional failures of education and mental health in the lives of offenders and their families. --Justice Connections<br> The staggering toll of human misery that unfolds in these pages is more than sobering; it is terrifying. The authors' plea for restorative justice shows that there are constructive strategies and tactics within our reach if only the will and the funding are available to implement them. -- Hugo Adam Bedau, Tufts University<br> Using restorativ

Well written and compelling, this book is not for the faint of heart or for those who cannot accept the realities of social policy that is iatrogenic rather than healing, but it is a must read for those who desire justice for all those affected by the use of the death penalty. --Choice (Outstanding Academic Book, 2007) A compelling study of how capital punishment affects the lives of families members of men and women who are on Death Row in the United States...The authors detail innovative methods of countering the institutional failures of education and mental health in the lives of offenders and their families. --Justice Connections The staggering toll of human misery that unfolds in these pages is more than sobering; it is terrifying. The authors' plea for restorative justice shows that there are constructive strategies and tactics within our reach if only the will and the funding are available to implement them. -- Hugo Adam Bedau, Tufts University Using restorative justice as analytic framework, In the Shadow of Death lifts the needs and experiences of those family members out of the shadows and explores their place in the justice equation. --Howard Zehr, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite University The death penalty is often seen as the big fix. Timothy McVeigh's execution did not bring my daughter Julie back or fix anything. This book recognizes how the big fix mentality is dramatically oversimplified and honestly discusses the consequences of murder to victims' family members and of the death penalty to offenders' family members. --Bud Welch, Murder Victim Families for Human Rights This is a must-read for anyone involved in the mental health profession as well as attorneys and law students who enter the mire of these broken lives. This book unearths the humanity that is often missing in death penalty trials. -- Scharlette Holdman, Center for Capital Assistance

The staggering toll of human misery that unfold in these pages is more than sobering; it is terrifying. The authors' plea for restorative justice that runs through their book is reassuring; it shows that there are constructive strategies and tactics within our reach if only the will and the funding are available to implement them.--Hugo Adam Bedau, Austin Fletcher Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Tufts University, and editor of The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies Increasingly, though belatedly, we are learning something about what families experience and need when a loved one is murdered. Various studies have probed the lives of those on death row because they have been convicted of murder. But what do we know about the families of those on death row? What do they go through, and how do they fit into the picture? Using restorative justice as analytic framework, In the Shadow of Death lifts the needs and experiences of those family members out of the shadows and explores their place in the justice equation.--Howard Zehr, Co-Director, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite University, and author of Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice This is an important book that lifts the concept of restorative justice off its pages and into the hearts and minds of all who will read it. Beck, Britto, and Andrews have given us the tools; now it is up to us to take it to the people.--Ajamu Baraka, US Human Rights Network The family members of those sentenced to death have been either vilified or ignored. This book makes an enormous step toward changing that by presenting some of their compelling stories and making their voices part of the debate about capital punishment and about our commitment to a just, decent, and compassionate society.--Stephen Bright, Southern Center for Human Rights By boldly proposing the application of restorative justice principles to capital crimes, the authors provide hope that we can break the cycle of violence and make some good come out of the devastation murder brings to victims and offenders families, and even the offenders themselves and society in general. As one of two children (my brother is the other) in American history to have had both parents executed, I applaud this effort.--Robert Meeropol, son of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg and Executive Director, Rosenberg Fund for Children The death penalty is often seen as 'the big fix.' Timothy McVeigh's execution did not bring my daughter Julie back or fix anything. This book recognizes how 'the big fix' mentality is dramatically oversimplified and honestly discusses the consequences of murder to victims' family members and of the death penalty to offenders' family members.--Bud Welch, Murder Victim Families for Human Rights This is a must-read for anyone involved in the mental health profession as well as attorneys and law students who enter the mire of these broken lives. This book unearths the humanity that is often missing in death penalty trials.-- Scharlette Holdman, Center for Capital Assistance This book should be required reading for professionals who work with persons who suffer from the wrongdoing of family members and for anyone considering whether the net benefit of the death penalty outweighs its costs.--Sheri Lynn Johnson, Cornell Death Penalty Project A compelling study of how capital punishment affects the lives of families members of men and women who are on Death Row in the United States...The authors detail innovative methods of countering the institutional failures of education and mental health in the lives of offenders and their families.--Justice Connections Well written and compelling, this book is not for the faint of heart or for those who cannot accept the realities of social policy that is iatrogenic rather than healing, but it is a must read for those who desire justice for all those affected by the use of the death penalty, --Choice

Well written and compelling, this book is not for the faint of heart or for those who cannot accept the realities of social policy that is iatrogenic rather than healing, but it is a must read for those who desire justice for all those affected by the use of the death penalty. --Choice (Outstanding Academic Book, 2007)<br> A compelling study of how capital punishment affects the lives of families members of men and women who are on Death Row in the United States...The authors detail innovative methods of countering the institutional failures of education and mental health in the lives of offenders and their families. --Justice Connections<br> The staggering toll of human misery that unfolds in these pages is more than sobering; it is terrifying. The authors' plea for restorative justice shows that there are constructive strategies and tactics within our reach if only the will and the funding are available to implement them. -- Hugo Adam Bedau, Tufts University<br> Using restorative justice as analytic framework, In the Shadow of Death lifts the needs and experiences of those family members out of the shadows and explores their place in the justice equation. --Howard Zehr, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite University<br> The death penalty is often seen as the big fix. Timothy McVeigh's execution did not bring my daughter Julie back or fix anything. This book recognizes how the big fix mentality is dramatically oversimplified and honestly discusses the consequences of murder to victims' family members and of the death penalty to offenders' family members. --Bud Welch, Murder Victim Families for Human Rights<br> This is a must-read for anyone involvedin the mental health profession as well as attorneys and law students who enter the mire of these broken lives. This book unearths the humanity that is often missing in death penalty trials. -- Scharlette Holdman, Center for Capital Assistance<br>

<br> Well written and compelling, this book is not for the faint of heart or for those who cannot accept the realities of social policy that is iatrogenic rather than healing, but it is a must read for those who desire justice for all those affected by the use of the death penalty. --Choice (Outstanding Academic Book, 2007)<p><br> A compelling study of how capital punishment affects the lives of families members of men and women who are on Death Row in the United States...The authors detail innovative methods of countering the institutional failures of education and mental health in the lives of offenders and their families. --Justice Connections<p><br> The staggering toll of human misery that unfolds in these pages is more than sobering; it is terrifying. The authors' plea for restorative justice shows that there are constructive strategies and tactics within our reach if only the will and the funding are available to implement them. -- Hugo Adam Bedau, Tufts University<p><br> Using r

<br> Well written and compelling, this book is not for the faint of heart or for those who cannot accept the realities of social policy that is iatrogenic rather than healing, but it is a must read for those who desire justice for all those affected by the use of the death penalty. --Choice (Outstanding Academic Book, 2007)<p><br> A compelling study of how capital punishment affects the lives of families members of men and women who are on Death Row in the United States...The authors detail innovative methods of countering the institutional failures of education and mental health in the lives of offenders and their families. --Justice Connections<p><br> The staggering toll of human misery that unfolds in these pages is more than sobering; it is terrifying. The authors' plea for restorative justice shows that there are constructive strategies and tactics within our reach if only the will and the funding are available to implement them. -- Hugo Adam Bedau, Tufts University<p><br> Using restorative justice as analytic framework, In the Shadow of Death lifts the needs and experiences of those family members out of the shadows and explores their place in the justice equation. --Howard Zehr, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite University<p><br> The death penalty is often seen as the big fix. Timothy McVeigh's execution did not bring my daughter Julie back or fix anything. This book recognizes how the big fix mentality is dramatically oversimplified and honestly discusses the consequences of murder to victims' family members and of the death penalty to offenders' family members. --Bud Welch, Murder Victim Families for Human Rights<p><br> This is a must-read for anyone involved in the mental health profession as well as attorneys and law students who enter the mire of these broken lives. This book unearths the humanity that is often missing in death penalty trials. -- Scharlette Holdman, Center for Capital Assistance<p><br>

Author Information

Elizabeth Beck is Associate Professor of Social Work, Georgia State University. Sarah Britto is Associate Professor of Law and Justice, Central Washington University. Arlene Andrews is Professor of Social Work and Director of the Institute for Families in Society, University of South Carolina.

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