This session explores the challenges of how to deal with a loved one lost to violence, both personally and as a society. Community moral and ethical standards, often defined by traditions of faith or a shared conscience, are commonly used to shape our public and social policy.  This session examines  our true feelings on the relationship between capital punishment and our community moral standards, in a forum of thoughtful discussion, void of strident political rhetoric. Our goal is to determine what serves us best with respect to reconciling a violent society and lost loved ones with the need to heal and meet the next challenges of life.

This moderated discussion includes family members of murder victims as well as those of the executed.

It explores what they consider to be the best ways to remember and respect their loved ones lost to violence, and, at the same time, what they feel is the best way to deal with society's need to manage a horrifying, yet all too frequent, occurrence. They will talk about the question of the root causes of violence and what we may do to prevent it, as well as the issue of rehabilitation and punishment for the perpetrators. The moderated conversation is followed by an open discussion, eliciting ideas from all sides of this very difficult issue.

Featuring:

• Bill Jenkins, Murder Victims Families for Human Rights
• Jennifer Bishop-Jenkins, Murder Victims Families for Human Rights
  

Partner:

• Indiana Information Center on the Abolition of Capital Punishment (IICACP)
  

Program Supporters:

• Amnesty International
• Bloomington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

Additional Resources:

• Murder Victims Families for Human Rights
• Amnesty International's Campaign Against the Death Penalty includes statistics, up to date news, and options for action
• Capital Punishment in Indiana Factfile, Indianapolis Star
• "Execution isn't the answer to murder, survivors say" Indianapolis Star