The death penalty is a highly debated practice for many reasons. A few being the cost of execution via taxpayer dollars, the morality of state-sanctioned killing, and the idea of justice and closure for the families of murder victims. The most popular anti-death arguments pertain to the eighth amendment which is used to argue that… Continue reading Choosing Death: The Physiological and Psychological Effects of Death Row on the Condemned and the Practice of Volunteering for Execution
Entry 8: The Lynching Era The Lynching era, which spanned from the end of the Civil War (1865) to 1930 was one of the most controversial times in United States history. Not only did the abolition of slavery and then the adoption of the Jim Crow Laws demonstrate the tug of war for power over… Continue reading The Lynching Era
Entry 7: Death Row Conditions Women currently account for less than one percent of inmates on death row in the United States (DPIC). With the majority of the offenders on death row being male, it is no wonder women are housed separately. However, it is interesting that unlike men on death row, women are… Continue reading Death Row Conditions
Entry #6- Gender disparity and the Death Penalty The topic of race and gender disparity in regards to the death penalty is a highly debated topic. Although race disparity is more common, sparking iconic Supreme Court cases such as Furman v. Georgia and implementation of the Gregg decision the latter, gender disparity, is commonly swept… Continue reading Gender disparity and the Death Penalty
Entry #5: Methods of Execution of Women Figure 1 The methods of execution regarding capital punishment have drastically changed since its first use in the United States in 1608. Although the rate of execution is drastically lower for women than men, women have been no stranger to being put to death by the State. Although… Continue reading Methods of the Execution of Women
Entry #4: A Brief History of the Execution of Women Since the beginning of time, the death penalty has been handed down to both men and women for death worthy offenses. Although the crimes which carry a sentence of death have changed, capital punishment has withstood the test of time. The origin of the death… Continue reading A Brief History of the Execution of Women 1632 – Present
The practice of volunteering for execution by stopping all appeals is not an uncommon occurrence on death row. It has been proven that death row conditions, specifically solitary confinement, have the potential to produce mental illness and conditions such as hallucinations, hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli, and extreme anxiety, but what about inmates who commit murder just because they want to die? This was the case for James French and more recently, Christina Riggs. If inmates who wish to commit state sanctioned “suicide” are obliged, the message of the death penalty in itself is skewed, and concerns about the mental health process upon conviction, unearthed.
Entry #2: Bonnie Heady and the Greenlease Case On September 28, 1953, Robert (Bobby) Greenlease sat focused at his desk at a private school in Kansas City, Mo., when he was informed his aunt had arrived to pick him up. Upon arrival at Notre Dame De Sion, a school for young boys, Bonnie Heady appeared… Continue reading The Greenlease Kidnapping and Murder
Table of Contents Introduction Women as Killers American Serial Killer: Aileen Wuornos The Greenlease Kidnapping Women on Death Row Changing the Message of the Death Penalty via State Sanctioned Suicide: Christina Riggs A Brief History of the Execution of Women Methods of Execution Pertaining to Women Gender Disparity… Continue reading A preview of what’s to come!
Entry #1: An evaluation of the film, Monster and it's depiction of Aileen Wuornos Aileen Wuornos is a household name, especially in Hollywood. From the portrayal of Aileen in the fifth season of the television show American Horror Story, to countless documentaries made about her life, it seems America cannot get enough of… Continue reading American Serial Killer: Aileen Wuornos
Webster's World 