Sociology 316UC - Unlawful Convictions

The Death Penalty in America: Unjustly Convicted Death Row Inmates. This course will examine in detail the cases of all 130 death row inmates exonerated in the post-Furman era (1976-2009). It will focus on how the 130 men ended up on death row, as well as the process by which they gained their freedom. In addition, the course will spotlight the many proposals, videotaped police interrogations, eyewitness identifications, forensic science procedures, etc., designed to correct sources of mistakes; and assess their likelihood of successfully preventing both unjust and wrongful convictions in capital cases.

Prereq: 8 credits in Sociology. SOCI-231 is strongly advised (please consult instructor for permission if you have not taken SOCI-231).