Apologies from Death Row: The Meaning and Consequences of Offender Remorse

Remorse on Death Row explores the notion of remorse, apologies, and forgiveness within the context of capital punishment, through the final words themselves of offenders on death row.

Judy Eaton is a Professor of Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada. She did her graduate work in social psychology at York University, receiving her MA in 2000 and PhD in 2005. Prior to that, she earned BAs in English and Psychology at McMaster University. The main focus of Professor Eaton’s research is the causes, consequences, and resolution of interpersonal conflict. Using a social cognitive framework, her research examines the role of apology and other gestures of remorse in facilitating forgiveness. In the context of the criminal justice system, she has studied remorse in offenders on death row, the concept of closure as it relates to victims of crime, and how victims of crime are viewed (and influenced) by third parties (i.e., people not involved in the crime).