How the Catholic Church helped change the conversation about capital punishment in the United States

By Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College

Thirty years ago, the film “Dead Man Walking” had its debut in movie theaters around the United States. It was a box office hit, and critics lavished it with praise. Lead actress Susan Sarandon won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Sister Helen Prejean, the spiritual adviser to a death row inmate played by Sean Penn.

But the film’s impact went far beyond the artistic realm. It exposed a mass audience to a perspective on the death penalty informed…

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