Helen Prejean

Helen Prejean is a Catholic nun and anti-death penalty activist. Her work as a spiritual advisor to death row inmates formed the basis for her 1993 book, Dead Man Walking. In the following viewpoint, she combines descriptions of her experiences with Patrick Sonnier, a convicted murderer who was executed in 1982, with general arguments on the morality of the death penalty. Prejean argues that the death penalty is a fundamentally unjust taking of a person’s life. It is also ethically objectionable because it falls disproportionately on poor and minority defendants, who are ill served by America’s legal system. She concludes that the death penalty can and should be abolished in the United States.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What experiences led the author to become involved with death row...