Executing the Innocent:
A conversation about capital punishment and wrongful convictions
Watch the discussion about capital punishment and wrongful convictions.
Resources and Literature
Margery M. Koosed is the Aileen McMurray Trusler Professor Emerita at The University of Akron School of Law. Her writing and advocacy focus on the death penalty in Ohio. The following article gives an overview of the situation in Ohio: Koosed, M. M. (2019). Abolition of the Ohio Death Penalty-Not for Lack of Trying. Ohio St. J. Crim. L., 17, 27.
Resources provided by OTSE
- Handout on the Cost of Death Penalty
- Handout on Death Penalty Repeal in Ohio
- Handout on Impact on Victim’s Family
- Handout on Racial Disparity and Death Penalty in Ohio
More resources and handouts by OTSE
The American Bar Association facilitates the Death Penalty Due Process Review Project and offers a free three-part webinar series exploring the fundamental issues in using the death penalty, how the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated these issues, and recent legal developments in death penalty practice, implementation, and legislation.
The Death Penalty Information Center provides essential statistics and fact sheets like execution numbers, death row population, and murder rates for each state. They also provide historical background on the death penalty in each state, links to relevant websites, such as state legislatures, and groups doing death penalty work.
The National Registry Of Exonerations provides comprehensive information on exonerations of innocent criminal defendants in order to prevent future false convictions by learning from past errors.
Sponsoring Organizations
One way to get active is to connect to existing organizations, subscribe to their newsletters, attend their events, volunteer your time and learn how you can apply your skills for positive social change. Here are links to the co-sponsors of the event:
Ohioans to Stop Executions (OTSE)
OTSE is a coalition of individuals and organizations working to reduce use of and ultimately end capital punishment in Ohio. We are ordinary Ohioans with an extraordinary vision for how society addresses violent crime and victims’ family’s needs.
Ohio Innocence Project (OIP)
OIP wants to free every innocent person in Ohio who has been convicted of a crime they didn't commit. They provide legal services, professional and community education, legislative and policy advocacy, and plenty of resources and videos on their website.
Witness To Innocence (WTI)
Witness to Innocence is an organization led by death row exonerees. They are focused on death penalty advocacy and education, as a way to end the death penalty.
OIP-u Tiffin University
OIP-u is Ohio's collegiate network of innocence advocates. This is the Tiffin University chapter. Their mission is to gain awareness for wrongful convictions all over the country but specifically in Ohio and in our university region.
OIP-u Akron
OIP-u is Ohio's collegiate network of innocence advocates. This is the University of Akron Chapter. Their mission is to gain awareness for wrongful convictions all over the country but specifically in Ohio and in our university region.
If you want to stay up to date with the Akron Chapter please subscribe to our listserv:
- Send a new message with listserv@lists.uakron.edu in the To field
- In the subject line, put subscribe ua-oip
- The body of the message should be blank.
- Send this from the address you want added to the list.
Sociology Club
UA's Sociology Club focus is on career education and research experience for Sociology undergraduates.
Co-sponsoring are also: