Sister Helen Prejean Archives

Sotomayor: 13 executed under Trump administration ‘deserved more’ from court

Jan 20, 2021

Although the Supreme Court cleared the way for the execution of Dustin Higgs Jan. 15, two justices made their objections known loud and clear in dissents that called into question the speed of these decisions and even the constitutionality of capital punishment.

By Carol Zimmermann

Lisa Montgomery put to death after Supreme Court reversal

Jan 13, 2021

After a flurry of court decisions, the Supreme Court reversed a pair of rulings from federal appeals courts that had put death-row inmate Lisa Montgomery’s execution on hold, and it denied two other last-minute requests to postpone the execution.

By Carol Zimmermann

Catholic advocates against death penalty urge clemency for woman on federal death row

Dec 31, 2020

In a Nov. 12 Facebook post, Sister Helen Prejean, a Sister of St. Joseph of Medaille and longtime death penalty opponent, said: “We must stop the execution of Lisa Montgomery. Lisa was psychotic — unable to act rationally — when she committed a terrible crime. She desperately needed psychiatric care and instead she got a death sentence. “

By Carol Zimmermann

Catholic leaders decry additional federal execution measures

Dec 2, 2020

A move by the Department of Justice to expand how it carries out federal death sentences — to include electrocution, gas or firing squads along with lethal injections –was sharply criticized by Catholic anti-death penalty activists.

By Carol Zimmermann

U.S. bishops urge Trump, Barr to stop upcoming federal executions

Nov 19, 2020

Ahead of the execution of Orlando Hall that was scheduled for Nov. 19, and two more federal executions scheduled to take place in December, two U.S. bishops’ committee chairmen called on the government to end this practice.

By Carol Zimmermann

Catholic activists applaud encyclical’s stance against death penalty

Oct 5, 2020

Pope Francis tackled several issues in his new encyclical, but the section devoted to ending capital punishment was particularly cheered by U.S. Catholics who oppose the death penalty.

By Carol Zimmermann