Helen Prejean

Sister Helen Prejean (b. April 21, 1938, Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is a Roman Catholic nun, one of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille, who has become a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty.

Related Topics:
April 21 - 1938 - Baton Rouge, Louisiana - Roman Catholic - Nun - Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille - American - Death penalty

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Her crusade began in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1981, through a correspondence she maintained with a convicted murderer, Patrick Sonnier, who was sentenced to death by electrocution. She visited Sonnier in prison and agreed to be his spiritual adviser in the months leading up to his death. The experience gave Prejean greater insight into the process involved in executions and she began speaking out against capital punishment. At the same time, she also founded Survive, an organization devoted to providing counselling to the families of victims of violence.

Related Topics:
New Orleans - Louisiana - 1981 - Patrick Sonnier - Electrocution - Capital punishment - Survive

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Prejean has since ministered to many other inmates on death row and witnessed several more executions. She served as National Chairperson of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty from 1993 to 1995.

Related Topics:
Execution - National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty - 1993 - 1995

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An autobiographical account of her relationship with Sonnier and other inmates on death row served as the basis for the feature film Dead Man Walking.

Related Topics:
Death row - Dead Man Walking

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Prejean's second book, "The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions", was published in December 2004. In it, she tells the story of two men, Dobie Gillis Williams and Joseph O?Dell, whom she accompanied to their executions. She believes both these men were innocent. The book also examines the recent history of death penalty decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States and looks at the track record of George W. Bush as Governor of Texas.

Related Topics:
Supreme Court of the United States - George W. Bush - Governor of Texas

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Prejean now bases her work at the Death Penalty Discourse Center in New Orleans and spends her time giving talks across the United States and around the world.

Related Topics:
United States - World

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