Murdering myths

"In Murdering Myths: The Story Behind the Death Penalty, Judith W. Kay goes beyond hype and statistics to examine Americans' deep-seated beliefs about crime and punishment. She argues that Americans share a counterproductive idea of justice - that punishment corrects bad behavior, suffering pays for wrong deeds, and victims' desire for revenge is natural and inevitable. Drawing on interviews with both victims and inmates, Kay shows how this belief harms perpetrators, victims, and society and calls for a new narrative that recognizes the humanity in all of us."--Jacket.