Author Description

Mark Costanzo's study is a groundbreaking analysis of the thorny issue of capital punishment that takes an unblinking look at how the system really works - not just how it's supposed to work. Using hard evidence from trial arguments, case histories, and published studies, Costanzo places capital punishment in its historical and moral context before systematically stripping away every major argument in favor of the death penalty. In the process, he exposes the extravagant costs, illusory benefits, and disturbing consequences of capital punishment and builds an important new model for understanding the politics behind its practice.