INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1:  A Long Bloody Past

Executions in the United States 
The Abolition Movement 
Why We Must Kill the Killers 
Historical Trends

CHAPTER 2:  From Trial to Execution Chamber

Two Landmark Decisions 
How the System Works Today 
Jury Selection and Death-Qualification 
The Capital Murder Trial 
Jurors in Capital Murder Trials 
The Sentencing Phase Instructions 
The Appeals Process 
Death Row

CHAPTER 3:  Is the Death Penalty Inhumane?

Ropes, Bullets, Electricity, Gas, and Poison 
Between Sentencing and Execution: Life on Death Row 
Waiting for the Executioner 
The Execution Ritual 
Cruelty from a Safe Distance

CHAPTER 4:  Is the Death Penalty Cheaper than Life Imprisonment?

The Price Tag 
Why the Death Penalty is so Costly 
Streamlining the System to Cut Costs

CHAPTER 5:  Is the Death Penalty Fairly Applied?

All the Justice Money Can Buy 
Justice in Black and White 
The Supreme Court's View of Race 
Wrongful Conviction and Execution 
Why Death is Different

CHAPTER 6:  Does the Death Penalty Deter Potential Murderers?

The Evidence 
Why Killing Doesn't Deter Killers 
Another Possibility

CHAPTER 7:  Does the Public Support the Death Penalty?

What the Surveys Tell Us 
The Dynamics of Public Opinion 
What Drives Public Support? 
Support for Alternative Punishments

CHAPTER 8:  Is Killing Murderers Morally Justified?

The Bible Tells me so 
Moral Philosophy and the Functions of Punishment 
Moral Responsibility and Free Will 
Just Revenge 
What about the Victims?

CHAPTER 9:  The Politics and Future of Killing:  Symbolism and Realism

Other Western Democracies 
Toward Abolition 
The Politics of Killing 
The Role of the Media 
The Alternative to Killing: LWOP+R 
Dangerousness 
The Message We Send 
In Conclusion