Capital Punishment

<em>Capital Punishment: Theory and Practice of the Ultimate Penalty</em> is a fair balanced and accessible introduction to the greatest moral issue facing the American criminal justice system today. Opening with a unique chapter that outlines the philosophical and theoretical explanations for punishment and its relevance to the death-penalty debate the authors then explore the wide array of topics in the field. <p/>The text covers the history of the death penalty in the U.S. from colonial times to the present day; the relevant landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases from <em>Furman v. Georgia</em> (1972) onwards; the history of public opinion and how it shapes the debate on capital punishment; the history of U.S. execution methods; deterrence; racial disparity in the application of the death penalty; wrongful convictions; the costs associated with capital punishment; and federal military and international death penalties. <p/><strong>FEATURES</strong> <p/><strong>Incorporates Perspectives from the Field boxes</strong> in most chapters that add valuable insights from people who have been personally involved in capital cases including a judge a prosecutor a neuroscientist a former death-row resident and other key practitioners in the field <p/><strong>Explores the process by which hard science (DNA) is used to address exoneration and mitigation </strong> in terms that are understandable to students <p/><strong>Includes an in-depth discussion of why we punish wrongdoers </strong> examining why our urge to punish is so strong <p/>An <strong>open-access Companion Website</strong> provides chapter outlines chapter learning objectives sample quiz/exam questions and links to helpful websites<br>