Helen Prejean, C.S.J. joined us to share stories and wisdom from her lifelong journey advocating for the abolition of the death penalty. She discussed how she was pulled into this work, ways the death penalty negatively impacts society at large, and how Catholic teaching on the death penalty has evolved in recent years. To close the episode, Prejean reveals how experiences with empathy, forgiveness, and faith can reshape our understanding of justice and give direction to how we are called to act today.

Prejean is the author of Dead Man Walking (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/133674/) which was adapted into an Academy Award winning film, and most recently, a graphic novel (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/635448/). Her current project aims to bring attention to the case of Manuel Ortiz, an innocent man from El Salvador who is on death row in Louisiana for crimes he did not commit. For more information, visit sisterhelen.org (https://www.sisterhelen.org/).