Seattle University A.A. Lemieux Library Academic Day 2002   Dead Man Walking

Homicide Victims and Survivors

	> the victims
	> the survivors
	> does the justice system help?
	> victims' rights
	> healing for survivors
	> restorative justice
	> tip of the iceberg

Who are the victims of homicide?

"'In dealing with the D.A. and the police,' Elizabeth says, 'you could probably get more information when you get your car stolen than if your child is killed because then you're the victim, but when someone's killed, they figure the one killed is the victim, not you, and you're pushed to the sidelines.'" pg. 224, Dead Man Walking

websites

• Memorial Wall for Murder Victims
• Victims' Voices: Murder Victims.com: Justice for All
• Information Please Almanac: Murder Victims by Weapons Used, Race and Sex. See also: Weapons Used in 2000.

books in Lemieux Library

• Alder, Christine and Kenneth Polk
  Child Victims of Homicide
  Cambridge University Press, 2001.
  HV6542 .A43 2001
• Bernall, Misty and Madeleine L'Engle
  She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall
  Pocket Books, 2000.
  HV6250.4 .S78 B47 1999
• Elias, Robert
  The Politics of Victimization: Victims, Victimology and Human Rights
  New York: Oxford University Press, 1986.
  HV6250.3 .U5 E44 1986
• Elias, Robert
  Victims Still: The Political Manipulation of Crime Victims
  Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, 1993.
  HV6250.3 .U5 E46 1993
• Kennedy, Leslie W.
  Crime Victims in Context
  Los Angeles: Roxbury Publishing, 1998.
  HV6250.3 .U5 K45 1998
• Khamisa, Azim
  Azim's Bardo: A Father's Journey from Murder to Forgiveness
  Scotts Valley: Rising Star Press, 1998.
  HV9067 .H6 K43 1998
• Kinder, Gary
  Victim: The Other Side of Murder
  Atlantic Monthly Press, 1999.
  HV6533 .U8 K56 1999
• Rock, Paul Elliott
  After Homicide: Practical and Political Responses to Bereavement
  Oxford University Press, 1998.
  HV6535 .G4 R53 1998
• Sebold, Alice
  The Lovely Bones
  Little Brown and Co., 2002.
  PS3619 .E26 L68 2002
• Shattuck, Michelle D.
  God and the Victim: Theological Reflections on Evil, Victimization, Justice and Forgiveness
  Erdmans, 2000.
  BV4465.5 .G63 1999

Who are the survivors?

"My husband and I are getting a separation. We just have different ways of dealing with our son's death. He wanted to get rid of all his clothes right away. I wanted to keep them. He said he had to move on in his life and I'm still grieving. 'Until death do us part' has new meaning for me." pg. 230, Dead Man Walking

websites

• The National Coalition of Homicide Survivors: Pima County Attorney, Tucson, Arizona
• The National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children: Cincinnati
• Survivors of Homicide Victims: Central Florida Bereaved Survivors of Homicide, Inc.

books in Lemieux Library

• Hoard, G. Richard
  Alone Among the Living
  University of Georgia Press, 1994.
  HV 6515 .H59 1994
• Spungen, Deborah
  Homicide: The Hidden Victims - A Guide for Professionals
  Sage Publishing, 1997.
  HV6515 .S65 1998

other noteworthy books

• Calhoun, Keith Benton
  400 Hours: A Father's Journal of His Daughter's Kidnap and Murder
  Puckett, MI: Greystone Press, 2000.
  HV6534 .A8 C35 1999
• Hammett, Marcella
  Permanent Heartache: Portraits of Grief, Hope, Survival and Life After Homicide
  Hauppage, NY: Nova Science Publishers, 2000.
• Walsh, John
  Tears of Rage: From Grieving Father to Crusader for Justice
  The Untold Story of the Adam Walsh Case
  Simon and Schuster, 1997.

Does the justice system help the survivors?

"My wife and I went to the sheriff's office to apply for victim compensation funds. A deputy rifled through a few drawers and said, 'Don't know nothin' about these funds. Why don't y'all write to Ann Landers? She helps people.'" pg. 230, Dead Man Walking

websites

• Victims of Crime: National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS)
• Victims of Crime Resources from NCJRS
• Victims' Impact Statements
• National Center for Victims of Crime: Washington, D.C.
• Homicide Survivors
• National Victims Constitutional Amendment

What are your rights as a crime victim and survivor?

websites

• Rights of the Survivors of Homicide
• Washington State Crime Victims Resources: National Coalition of Homicide Survivors
• King County Prosecuting Attorney Victim Assistance
• U.S. Department of Justice: What to do if you are a crime victim.
• "Victim Rights and Services: A Modern Saga" by Marlene Young. National Organization for Victim Assistance
• National Organization for Victim Assistance: League City, Texas

Does capital punishment help survivors heal? Is forgiveness possible for homicide survivors?

"Vernon begins to cry. He just can't get over Faith's death, he says. It happened six years ago but for him it's like yesterday, and I realize that now, with Robert Willie dead, he doesn't have an object for his rage. He's been deprived of that, too." pg. 226, Dead Man Walking

websites

• A Different Look at the Death Penalty: Murder Victims' Families Talk About the McVeigh Execution and the Future of the Death Penalty. Open Society Institute: Soros Foundation: This panel discussion focuses on whether closure is possible for survivors. Real Audio.
• Justice for Homicide Victims
• Murder Victims.com: Survivors
• Citizens Against Homicide
• Murder Victims' Families for Reconciliation: Cambridge, MA: The 26-year-old MVFR is one of the oldest restorative justice groups, comprised of family members who are survivors of homicide.
• Bridges to Life

books in Lemieux Library

• Boers, Arthur Paul
  Justice that Heals: A Biblical Version of Victims and Offenders
  Newton, KS: Faith and Life Press, 1992.
  BS680 .J8 B64 1992
• Bosco, Antoinette
  Choosing Mercy: A Mother of Murder Victims Pleads to End the Death Penalty
  Orbis Books, 2001.
  HV8698 .B67 2001
• Morris, Debbie and Greg Lewis
  Forgiving the Dead Man Walking
  Zondervan Publishing House, 2000.
  (Debbie Morris is the surviving victim of the Dead Man Walking crimes.)
  HV6534 .M224 M67 1998
• Van Ness, Daniel W.
  Restoring Justice
  Cincinnati: Anderson Publishing, 1997.
  HV8688 .V36 1997
• Zehr, Howard
  Transcending: Reflections of Crime Victims
  Good Books, 2001.
  HV6250.3 .U5 Z44 2001

Is true justice possible? What are the alternatives?

Restorative Justice

Most justice meted out in the American courts is retributive; that is, society punishes the offender as retribution according to the severity of the crime. The concept of restorative justice is a challenge to the justice system that we know. Restorative justice (believed to have originated among the Maori of New Zealand) argues that equal protection and due process for both the victim and the offender are necessary in order for a just society to flourish. The offender must come to terms with the irreparable harm (s)he has caused the victim and the victim's family and take responsibility for the crime; the surviving members of the family must temper their desire for vengeance.

• Restorative Justice Online: International Center for Justice and Reconciliation and Prison Fellowship International. Webtour Web Resources
• Friends Committee on Restorative Justice: Moscow, ID
• Northwest Institute for Restorative Justice: Seattle

books in Lemieux Library

• Braswell, Michael
  Corrections, Peacemaking and Restorative Justice: Transforming Individuals and Institutions
  Anderson Publishing, 2001.
  HV8665 .B73 2001
• Colson, Chuck
  Justice that Restores: Why Our Justice System Doesn't Work and the Only Method of True Reform
  Tyndale House, 2001.
  HV 8688 .C63 2001
• Lamb, Sharon
  The Trouble with Blame: Victims, Perpetrators and Responsibility
  Harvard University Press, 1996.
  HM291 .L235 1996
• Miethe, Terance D.
  Crime and Its Social Context: Toward an Integrated Theory of Offenders, Victims and Situations
  Albany: SUNY, 1994.
  HV6018 .M54 1994
• Sarnoff, Susan Kiss
  Paying for Crime: The Policies and Possibilities of Crime Victim Reimbursement
  Westport, CT: Praeger, 1996.
  HV8688 .S25 1996
• Umbreit, Mark
  Victim Meets Offender: The Impact of Restorative Justice and Mediation
  Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press, 1994.
  HV8688 .U53 1994
• Van Wormer, Katherine S.
  Counseling Female Offenders and Victims: A Strengths-Restorative Approach
  New York: Springer Publishing, 2001.
  HV9469 .V36 2001
• Zehr, Howard
  Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice
  Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, c1990.
  K5001 .Z43 1990

videos

• Facing the Demons
  A documentary on restorative justice.
  First Run Icarus Films, 1999.
• Finding Resolution: The Stories of Crime Victims as Witnesses to an Execution
  National Organization for Victim Assistance.
  Scottsdale, AZ: Candee Productions, Inc., c2001.
  HV6350.3 .U5 F55 2001
• Journey Toward Forgiveness
  Documentary.
  ABC TV, 2001.
• Umbreit, Mark
  Restorative Justice: Victim Empowerment Through Meditation and Dialogue
  St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Center for Restorative Justice and Meditation, 1997.
  HV8688 .R4778 1997
• Hartz, Jim
  Restorative Justice: For Victims, Communities and Offenders
  St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Center for Restorative Justice and Meditation, 1997.
  HV8688 .R477 1996

tip of the iceberg...

Dig deeper into these topics by exploring additional resources available both in the library and through the Library Homepage. Additional books & videos can be located through the "Library Catalog" link. Articles (including full-text) can be located in many general and specialized journal databases through the "Databases" link. Reference staff is also available to assist you in finding materials.

© 2002 Lemieux Library