Sister Helen Prejean on abolishing the death penalty
‘We can never entrust our governments with the right to think they have the wisdom to be able to decide who should die.’
With 2,400 people on death row and executions up in the last year, the debate on whether the death penalty should still exist in the United States in the 21st Century is back in the spotlight.
A campaign promise from President Joe Biden’s campaign to “help” end capital punishment and a moratorium on federal executions have done little to slow down executions in some US states. Recently, Oklahoma announced plans to execute about one person a month from now until December 2024.
On UpFront, Sister Helen Prejean, an anti-death penalty activist, Catholic nun, and spiritual advisor to those on death row, joins Marc Lamont Hill to discuss capital punishment in the US.