On this edition of Your Call, mitigation specialist Elizabeth Vartkessian discusses her book, The Deserving: What the Lives of the Condemned Reveal About American Justice.
Drawing on thousands of hours spent with people convicted of serious crimes in addition to their family members, friends, and acquaintances to situate their actions in context, she argues it is imperative that we reimagine our justice system’s harsh penalties, which ultimately fail both victims and perpetrators.
What will it take to replace retribution with rehabilitation?
Guest:
Elizabeth Vartkessian, mitigation specialist, founder and director of Advancing Real Change Inc., and author of The Deserving: What the Lives of the Condemned Reveal About American Justice
Resources:
The Atlantic: Donald Trump Dreams of More Executions
NPR: Biden stopped the executions of 37 men. Trump’s DOJ wants to punish them
The Hill: High-profile killings, Trump reinvigorate death penalty push as support wanes
The Marshall Project: How Trump Has Reshaped the Justice Department and Other Criminal Justice Areas in His Second Term
