Ultimate Punishment

August 25, 2003
Is there anything new to say about whether the death penalty should be abolished? It turns out there is. Bestselling author Turow (Reversible Errors) has some useful insights into this fiercely debated subject, based on his experiences as a prosecutor and, in his postprosecutorial years, working on behalf of death-row inmates, and his two years on Illinois's Commission on Capital Punishment, charged by the former Gov. George Ryan with examining how the death penalty might be more fairly administered. This is a sober and elegantly concise examination of a complex, fraught topic by an admitted "agnostic." His views veering one way and then the other, Turow shares his back-and-forth reasoning as he carefully discusses each issue, from the possible execution of an innocent person (a serious danger) to whether execution is a deterrent (it's not). Perhaps most illuminating are Turow's thoughts on victims' rights (which he says must be weighed against the needs of the community); on what to do with "the worst of the worst" (he visits a maximum security prison to meet multiple-murderer Henry Brison, who, Turow says, "most closely resembles... Hannibal Lecter"); and the question of what he calls "moral proportion," the notion that execution is meant to restore moral balance, which, he says, requires an "unfailingly accurate" system of justice. This measured weighing of the facts will be most valuable to those who, like Turow, are on the fence—they will find an invaluable, objective look at both sides of this critical but highly charged debate.

November 3, 2003
Turow brings his experience as a practicing attorney to this thoughtful meditation on the nature, peril and efficacy of the death penalty. His tone is human and warm, but devoid of drama—he uses no character voices, save for a brief moment when he effectively emulates the words of an elderly Jewish man who offers a warning about what can go wrong when a government exerts force against its own people. Much of the book deals with Turow's time spent on a commission organized to look into the death penalty machinery in Illinois and offer suggestions for improvement. He also relates his visit to a "Super-Max" prison where the "worst of the worst" are kept; these passages are chilling, as are his clinical descriptions of the crimes committed by the death row inmates. Turow gives both pro and con arguments equal consideration, keeping his own feelings ambiguous until the end, when he reveals his 0pinion that the death penalty should be repealed. The early chapters may confuse listeners, as they contain a cavalcade of names, but even so, this is a provocative, worthwhile listen, one that explores all the usual questions about capital punishment while raising new ones. Simultaneous release with the FSG hardcover.