Life and death row. Series 2, Episode 2, Punishment

Available as

Online

Summary

Series telling the story of capital punishment through the eyes of young people whose lives have been shaped by it. With unprecedented access inside prison walls, it discovers what it's like to liv...

Series telling the story of capital punishment through the eyes of young people whose lives have been shaped by it. With unprecedented access inside prison walls, it discovers what it's like to live with the threat of the death chamber, as well as hearing from victims and their families, and the family of those on death row - some praying for execution, some hoping for a reprieve. Each episode focuses on different aspects of the system - execution, punishment and the complex nature of 'truth'. In April 2013, 18-year-old Shawn Ford Jr was charged with killing his girlfriend's parents with a sledgehammer. Now he is on trial for his life and a jury of 12 ordinary people must decide whether he should live or die. This film follows the court case from the inside, as both the family of the victims and the defendant struggle to come to terms with such a horrific crime. But it is the jurors who must ultimately decide Shawn's fate. As the details of the shocking murders mount, can an impassioned plea for mercy from Shawn's mother save her son's life? Taking you into the heart of the American death penalty system, Life and Death Row asks - what does this sentence really mean to the people living on death row, and the other people connected to the case? Gaining even deeper access to courts, prisons and capital cases across America, this second series exposes previously unexamined areas from sentencing and prosecution to psychiatry and appeal. Painstaking and impartial, each programme asks urgent ethical questions about justice, the right to life, and the right to kill. Could you testify against someone close to you? What is it like to be drafted onto a jury to decide if someone lives or dies? And can we draw a definitive line between personality and mental illness? Gripping and thought-provoking, the real-life stories featured are packed full of drama, jeopardy and intense emotion.

Show More