The death penalty is one of the great moral issues facing our country, yet most people rarely think about it and very few of us take the time to delve deeply enough into this issue to be able to make an informed decision about it.
This website is my invitation to you to take that time, to learn, to explore and to reflect.
- Sister Helen Prejean
Learn about Sister Helen Prejean
Sister Helen Prejean is known around the world for her tireless work to end the death penalty. Sister Helen has been instrumental in sparking national dialogue on capital punishment and in shaping the Catholic Church’s vigorous opposition to allexecutions. Learn more about her life and work.
Read Sister Helen's books
Sister Helen Prejean’s first book, Dead Man Walking sparked a national conversation about the death penalty. In The Death of Innocents she showed how deeply flawed the death penalty continues to be. And in River of Fire, Sister Helen takes you on the winding path that led her to be an activist. Get the books.
Organize an event with Sr. Helen
Would you like Sister Helen to speak at your event? She’s available for virtual classes and meetings, and extended ‘Zoom Modules’ built around the reading of one of her books, with extensive, guided participation from attendees. Get started with our speaking request form.
Watch ‘SISTER’
SISTER chronicles the life and work of Sister Helen Prejean and examines the evolving role of nuns in the 21st Century. The full 90-minute director’s cut is now available online and as a free download. Get your friends, workmates, congregation or classmates together and have a watch party.
Get on board the justice train
DONATE!
Sister Helen Prejean works with a small band of like-minded souls at the Ministry Against the Death Penalty (MADP).
MADP depends on contributions from people like you. You can help us to change hearts and minds by supporting Sister Helen’s talks and boosting our social media campaigns that provide a voice for people on death row, for their families, for the families of victims, and for prison officers whose job it is to kill. The death penalty brings suffering to all of them.
Pope Francis on the death penalty
Pope Francis is building on opposition to the death penalty. Sister Helen has played a part in these developments. Learn more about where the Church stands on the death penalty.
Writing to someone in prison
Writing to someone in prison is a special gift for both of you, but particularly for the one who is incarcerated. So many people in prison, especially those on death row, have little or no contact with people on the outside, so receiving a personal letter is something to treasure. Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. Here are some pointers.
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Keep up with the latest news from Sister Helen and the frontiers of justice by subscribing to our newsletter, Death Penalty Discourse.