Anything by Radelet on the death penalty is very valuable. HOWEVER, the one review of this book on this page is not for this book at all. It is for Cruel and Unusual Punishment by Patricia Cornwell. Please put the review in the right place.

Suspense, rushing adrenaline, and edge of your seat surprises are the feelings you get from reading Cruel and Unusual Punishment. Patricia Cornwell is one of many good mystery authors who takes you through the book as if you don't what it to end and keeps you turning the pages throughout the night. This novel is full of mystery and excitement, suspense and drama. Every detail mentioned in the book must be taken into consideration - you never know when it will be important to the case.

This heart-racing story takes place in Virginia involving one dead suspect, and many unanswered questions. Lieutenant Pete Marino and Dr. Kay Scarpetta were convinced that the cold-hearted killer was taken care of after Ronnie Joe Waddell was pronounced dead in the electric chair at 11:05 PM. "The dead can't hurt you," Kay once stated as suspicion arose. But what if the dead aren't dead - little did they know that their problems were just beginning. They were then faced with another baffling crime involving thirteen-year-old Eddie Heath. Finding his nude (though not dead), grotesquely wounded body propped against a dumpster, after his trip to the convenience store, added a new twist to the case. The two events, seemingly unrelated, were discovered strikingly similar after Marino remembered how Waddell arranged his victim (propped sitting up naked). The crimes scenes left few clues: old bloodstains, fragments of a feather, and - most baffling - a bloody fingerprint which leads Scarpetta to a dead end. Her suspect Ben Stevens was later found unable to commit the crime because of favorable evidence. With the help of her computer whiz niece Lucy, and her forensic expertise, Kay was later able to corner and trap the devious murderer. Uncovering shocking secrets (like discovering corrupt bargains and intentions within the police department) and putting both her and Eddie in danger by her investigations, she was determined and finally successful. The unveiling of the wicked, psychotic killer leaves you breathless and astonished. As Kay's co-worker pointed out, "I have to admit, it's eerie as hell" and I agree. Cornwell does an excellent job with this mystery, confirming her extraordinary range and power as a prizewinning author.

Patricia Cornwell's Cruel and Unusual leaves a lasting impression in your mind. If you pick this book up once, you won't put it down - guaranteed. Cornwell's purpose in this book is to leave you on the edge of your seat and keep you there until the end. She achieves her goal by including page after page of suspense and non-stop surprises (such as the new killer and his inside involvement). This book is a tough act to follow, but she never ceases to shock and amaze - the Scarpetta series is one of the best. Cruel and Unusual is heads and tales above the rest, full of intensity and breath-taking conclusions - it can't be beat.

I first saw these photographs before their publication in book form and they certainly speak for themselves, so I didn't feel a great urgency to buy the book. I didn't know what I was missing! The text complements, rather than explains, the pictures - anything else would have done a disservice to the strength of the images and Jones' brilliance in capturing them. A most worthwhile volume!

Jones' images provide a look onto the soul of people who killed and are about to die for their actions.

When I looked these people in the face from the safety of the outside the pages, I shivered and could almost hear the echoes in the chambers Jones photographed in. These are masterful portraits because they look inside where we think little or nothing exists and reveal what's left of the soul of these people who are waiting to die. Haunting and memorable, Jones' images tell an unforgettable story.

Photojournalists, this is a keeper.

Gary Gladstone

This book is very informative and provides the reader with amazing detail of how the justice system works.

This is a simply-superb collection of essays/articles on the topic of what can lead to the criminal conviction, and even execution, of suspects who turn out to be, in fact, innocent of the crime they were arrested for.
The points made and facts shown in this book should be part of a mandatory curriculum in high school, especially in view of the media onslaught of incorrect ideas of the criminal process. Most TV dramas reinforce the false "Perry Mason" idea that a successful defense attorney must not only show the prosecution has not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt, but ALSO must come up with the truly guilty person, who will confess on the witness stand. Broadcast and print journalists insist on saying the defendant pled or was found "innocent," when the correct term is "not guilty." (There's a world of difference between "innocent" which means morally blameless, and "not guilty" which means putting the state to its burden of proof.) The "tough cop" who ignores the inconveniences of the Constitution is as much a hero in fiction, as the "slimy defense attorney" who defends the always-guilty defendant is a villain. All these might be entertaining, but they create a mindset among jurors who decide real-life guilt.
_Wrongly Convicted_ addresses the hard real-life questions of how things can go so wrong that an innocent person (one who had nothing to do with the crime) can wind up convicted and even executed.
Would an innocent suspect sign a confession? Yes; he's coerced into believing it's actually in his interest.
What characteristics of a crime most frequently create a rush to judgment with the conviction of an innocent person? A heinous crime, a marginalized or "outsider" suspect, and/or unreliable evidence.
How do prosecutors avoid their requirement of disclosing facts helpful to the defense (exculpatory evidence)?
Are informants reliable? Why not?
Can fingerprint and DNA evidence be faked? Has it?
What is the role of race?
What role does the disparity of resources available to the government and defense play in conviction of the innocent?
What changes can we make to prevent these convictions of the innocent?

Each essay is well-written. In books like this, the editor must steer a course between overly-scholarly and overly-popular writing. The editors have chosen a middle course. The writing is not so popular that it reads like People Magazine, yet the editors use text with multiple subheadings and just the right amount of quoted material, so that it's very readable. Each essay is followed by its notes and extensive references. There is an extensive Index covering the entire book. The book concludes at a very non-ponderous 280 pages of text.
My only wish is that, in addition to the current book, the editors and authors could produce a high school version, perhaps 40-50 pages of the main points and pertinent examples, suitable to inclusion in a social studies curriculum.

I agree with the first reviewer. A blatant case of intellectual dishonesty. Michael Radelet is one of the worst researchers on capital punishment. I don't know how the guy got his tenure. Don't buy it!!

Just some definitional clarification in response to comments made about the "intellectual dishonesty" of the authors:

CAPITAL OFFENSE - a crime for which the death penalty may be imposed. Black's Law Dictionary, 7th Ed. 1999.

Black's is the legal system's most trusted authority on legal terminology, and while it is perhaps unfair and potentially misleading for the authors to have exploited a reader's possible misunderstanding of the nature of capital sentencing and prosecutorial dealmaking, the authors are correct in their usage of the term.

This is a wonderful book documenting some of the most significant failures of Justice in the 20th century. The stories presented within are both enthralling and heartbreaking. I highly recommend this book.

Another reviewer accused this book's authors of "intellectual dishonesty" for including crimes that did not result in a death sentence. However, this reviewer erroneously stated that only crimes that eventually result in the death penalty are capital crimes. This is not true. A capital crime is an crime that carries with it the _potential_ for recieving a death sentence - not just the crimes that actually do recieve such a sentence.

The authors also stated in the introduction that they would be including crimes which, at the time they were committed, constituted a capital offense, but no longer are considered death penalty-eligible (like rape).

The only "intellectual dishonesty" present is that of certain reviewers who make false statements and tarnish the reputations of well-respected researchers.