Hidden Victims: The Effects of the Death Penalty on Families of the Accused

by Susan F. Sharp

"Sharp’s book reemphasizes the tremendous costs of maintaining the death penalty—costs to real people and real families that ripple throughout generations to come."—Saundra D. Westervelt, author of Shifting the How Victimization Became a Criminal Defense "Everyone concerned with the effects of capital punishment must have this book."—Margaret Vandiver, professor, department of criminology and criminal justice, University of Memphis Murderers, particularly those sentenced to death, are considered by most to be unusually heinous, often sub-human, and entirely different from the rest of us. In Hidden Victims, sociologist Susan F. Sharp challenges this culturally ingrained perspective by reminding us that those individuals facing a death sentence, in addition to being murderers, are brothers or sisters, mothers or fathers, daughters or sons, relatives or friends. Through a series of vivid and in-depth interviews with families of the accused, she demonstrates how the exceptionally severe way in which we view those on death row trickles down to those with whom they are closely connected. Sharp shows how family members and friends—in effect, the indirect victims of the initial crime—experience a profoundly complicated and socially isolating grief process. Departing from a humanist perspective from which most accounts of victims are told, Sharp makes her case from a sociological standpoint that draws out the parallel experiences and coping mechanisms of these individuals. Chapters focus on responses to sentencing, the particular structure of grieving faced by this population, execution, aftermath, wrongful conviction, family formation after conviction, and the complex situation of individuals related to both the killer and the victim. Powerful, poignant, and intelligently written, Hidden Victims challenges all of us—regardless of which side of the death penalty you are on—to understand the economic, social, and psychological repercussions that shape the lives of the often forgotten families of death row inmates.

Genres: Nonfiction

248 pages, Paperback

First published June 8, 2005

Reviews

[Jaden Fuqua · Rating 5 out of 5]

i would recommend this book to anyone that is unsure about their beliefs on the death penalty or just anyone that wants to hear stories of the families of the accused. this book is very important to give this community a voice. i almost cried a couple of times because of the emotions behind the quotations.

[Kendra Mantz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit scattered/unstructured and repetitive in the stories shared, but overall a good look at something I’ve personally never thought about in the death penalty conversation. Features some extremely powerful and heartbreaking quotes from family members of people executed by the state.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t read like the last 10 pages but idc it was boring. It was very repetitive. I think instead of formatting his chapter of grief & restating the same information each chapter, the author could have formatted it per family/friend group.

[Ana-Maria Bujor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tackles a subject few talk about: what do the relatives of people sentenced to die feel and why should anyone care? Although a scientific study, this book manages to be very human and quite emotional at times. Also, if you still had faith in the justice system, this will kill some of it while reading about innocent people spending up to 20 years on death row and then being rejected by their families. Very little is said about the crimes so as to protect these people's identity, so don't expect a gore-fest. All in all it's a very useful read in understanding all the sides of a very complex problem.