Ultimate Sanction: Understanding the Death Penalty Through Its Many Voices and Many Sides

by Robert M. Bohm

A unique approach to one of the most divisive and galvanizing subjects of our time: capital punishmentFor nearly 250 years, scholars, legal experts, policymakers, and media pundits have discussed and debated the issues surrounding the death penalty. Is it a deterrent? What are the religious and retributive implications? What is the cost to society? Is it a cruel and unusual form of punishment? What impact does it have on the lives of those who, by duty or by choice, are involved in the process?In this ground-breaking book, Robert Bohm answers these questions by going to the source: people who have been directly and powerfully affected by circumstances surrounding the enforcement of capital punishment. Focusing on several death penalty cases, Bohm assembles voices from all sides--attorneys, law enforcement professionals, families of victims, and perpetrators-- in order to present the full range of emotion, opinion, and consequence surrounding capital punishment. In doing so, Bohm provides us with a truly balanced and broad understanding of the effects of capital punishment on the individual and on society as a whole. "The Ultimate Sanction" is essential reading for anyone interested in the criminal justice system.

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 30, 2010