Explores capital punishment through essays written by death row inmates, people who work with them, and people that have been affected by the death penalty This series looks at the human side of social issues.

Chapter 1 : Perspectives of death row inmates : Execution can never be humane /Robert Murray -- Fighting for life / Blake R. Pirtle -- America's death penalty system is broken / Ray Krone with Alan M. Simpson -- Chapter 2 : Views of Participants in the death penalty : Ministering to inmates facing execution / Carroll Pickett ; interview by PBS -- A state prosecutor's view of the death penalty / John Connelly -- Witness to an execution / Richard W. Byrne -- Chapter 3 : Voices of families touched by the death penalty : I am a death row wife / Saffiya S. Mussaaleh -- The execution of my mentally ill brother / Catherine Forbes -- A mother's journey to forgiveness / Aba Gayle -- A mother speaks for the victims / Elizabeth Harvey ; interview by PBS -- Vengeance is not the solution / Bud Welch.