Capital punishment seminar focuses on families
By Melanie Davis
melanie@mountaintimes.com

The ongoing series on capital punishment at Appalachian State University will continue through next week.

On Monday, Margaret Vandiver of the University of Memphis will speak on the human side of capital punishment.

Vandiver has worked extensively with defense attorneys, prisoners and their families in capital cases.

Her lecture will focus of the families of those condemned to a death sentence. Vandiver’s research suggests the family of a death row inmate suffers the same, if not greater, loss than the family of a homicide victim.

There is no community support.

Vandiver will also address the complexities and issues raised by how the criminal justice system and society respond to homicide. The lecture will end with suggestions for assisting families coping with the loss of a relative to violence.

Vandiver will speak at 7 p.m. in room 114 of the Belk Library and Information Commons.

Delbert Tibbs, a man sentenced to death in 1974 for a crime he did not commit, will speak on Tuesday. Tibbs was charged with murder of a man and the rape of his girlfriend along a Florida highway. The rape victim initially did not identify Tibbs, but later changed her mind. The case was overturned for lack of evidence in 1976 by a Florida Supreme Court, after Tibbs had spent two years on death row.

Tibbs will speak at 2 p.m. in the Table Rock Room of the Plemmons Student Union on his experiences.

Kimberly Cook of UNC Wilmington and Saudra Westervelt of UNC Greensboro will present a lecture on life after death row for those wrongfully convicted on Wednesday at 2:15 p.m. in room 114 of the Belk Library and Information Commons. Both have conducted detailed analysis of the aftereffects for those freed from death row.

The discussion will cover topics such as the stigma of conviction, the struggle to adjust after living in prison, the effects of prison violence and the human side of a wrongful conviction.

On Friday, the film “After Innocence” will be shown at 6:30 p.m. in room 114 of the Belk Library. This documentary follows the story of seven people freed from death row, some after serving decades behind bars.

This film has been described as both a harsh criticism of the current judicial system and a touching look at those affected by it.

All the events are free and open to the public. The series was organized by Matthew Robinson, associate professor of criminal justice and criminology.

The funding for the series is being provided by six departments on campus – the departments of anthropology, English, history, political science and criminal justice, sociology and social work, theater and dance, as well as, the dean’s office of the College of Arts and Sciences.

For more information contact Robinson at (828) 262-6560, or via email at robinsnmb@appstate.edu.