Questioning Capital Punishment Law, Policy, and Practice [Paperback]

The death penalty has inspired controversy for centuries. Raising questions regarding capital punishment rather than answering them, Questioning Capital Punishmentoffers the footing needed to allow for more informed consideration and analysis of these controversies. Acker edits judicial decisions that have addressed constitutional challenges to capital punishment and its administration in the United States and uses complementary materials to offer historical, empirical, and normative perspectives about death penalty policies and practices. This book is ideal for upper-level undergraduate and graduate classes in criminal justice.

PART I: The Death Penaltys Justifications: Pro and Con 1. Retribution (Just Deserts) 2. Deterrence 3. Incapacitation, Cost, and Consideration for Victims 4. Capital Punishment for Murder: Sentencing Criteria and Procedures 5. Proportionality: Offenses and Offenders 6. The New Death-Penalty Laws in Application: Race Discrimination and Arbitrariness 7. Defense Attorneys and Capital Jurors PART III: Post-Conviction 8. Capital Errors: Procedural Issues and Actual Innocence 9. The Final Stages: Death Row, Clemency, Execution

This volume is the most comprehensive overview of the death penalty in America that has been published this century. Acker gives us a thorough overview of the issues involved, combining factual data with unbiased analysis. Undoubtedly the book will be widely adopted in a wide array of death penalty courses.

• Michael L. Radelet, Sociology, University of Colorado

Questioning Capital Punishmentis, hands down, the best available resource for getting students to think about the hard questions surrounding America's death penalty. By presenting excerpts of U.S. Supreme Court decisions, among other materials, James Acker's book highlights all the major issues--from jury selection to execution, and frol³,