Sister Helen Prejean, one of the world’s most notable advocates for the abolishment of the death penalty, came to Western New York Wednesday to tell her story and to help educate the next generation in a new way.
A Catholic nun and self-proclaimed "Cajun French from Louisiana," Prejean's work as a spiritual advisor to two death-row inmates in the early 1980s inspired her best-selling novel "Dead Man Walking," later adapted into the 1995 film of the same name starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn and an opera that has become the most performed modern opera in the world today.
The latest iteration of "Dead Man Walking" comes in the form of a graphic novel released in November 2025, which Prejean hopes will inspire young students driven by social justice.
“To understand some of the deepest human rights issues of our day is really important for them and when you look at the death penalty, it's not like a peripheral moral issue. It holds all the deep wounds of our society in it,” she said.
Prejean said that prejudices like racism and classism stain the U.S. criminal justice system, as they have, historically, other systems in the nation. She noted that of over 1,600 executions carried out in the United States, 75% of cases involved white victims. She said that Black Americans, poor people and those with lower social statuses are typically more likely to receive death sentences.
The illusion of differences, Prejean believes, desensitizes many to the idea of murder as punishment.
“We see that same attitude toward immigrants. We see the attitude toward other nations. I mean, look at us in Iran right now, dropping bombs on people,” she said.
The resurgence of "Dead Man Walking" comes during a time in the nation when discussions about capital punishment are particularly relevant.
In 2025, there were 47 executions in the United States, the highest number the nation had seen since 2009. But Prejean said she’s seen public support of the death penalty dramatically decline through the four decades of her advocacy — shifting from 80% when her book was first released 33 years ago to about 50%.
Although the State of New York does not have capital punishment, the subject has also sparked local discussions in recent years, as a federal death penalty trial will be held in Buffalo in 2026 for the May 14 Tops Supermarket shooter Payton Gendron.
Prejean said she wants people to consider the ramifications of calling "murder for murder" a form of justice, using Gendron as an example.
“The thing about the mystery of a human person, we don't know how he might change, if he does or if he doesn't but for public safety, we know we can be safe as a society. So why do to him the terrible thing he did to others? We're better than that," she said.
After more than 40 years of advocacy, Prejean remains confident that she will see the abolishment of the death penalty in her lifetime.
“We can see the change happening because the dialogue is happening and people are understanding more. There is an evolving standard of decency that happens in society,” she said.
