An elective I am taking this semester is Social Work and the Law. We had someone speak in our class yesterday morning and talked about forensic social worker (she is a domestic violence expert) and the role of social workers as mitigation specialists. Basically, the role of a social worker is to learn the life story of the criminal in question who is facing death sentence and to present that criminal as a human being in a clemency hearing.
How cool. I mean, finding someone's life story, and presenting them as a human being. Apparently there aren't enough mitigation specialists. Anyway, this just sounded...cool. And well suited for me in terms of getting life stories (I'm pretty good at social/psych type interviewing) and writing up the report (also good at that).
I wanted to know if anyone here had heard/worked with any mitigation specialists and what they think of it.
Posted by mothertree (Member # 4999) on :
I don't know any, but since I don't support the death penalty I think it is an interesting idea. Although my main reason for not supporting the death penalty is because I think it is too easy to prosecute the wrong person successfully.
I'm not quite as partial to the idea that if you really understood someone, you wouldn't think they deserve the ultimate punishment. It's a tricky question.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
As much as I love hearing life stories and enjoy collecting them myself, I'm not sure I could handle bearing the burden of getting to know the life of a murderer.
Seems like I'd lose a lot of sleep. Then again, any social worker would lose sleep if they allowed the job to get to them emotionally, so I guess it can't be much different than dealing with, for ex., abused children.
Social workers are just made of sterner stuff than I am.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
quote:I mean, finding someone's life story, and presenting them as a human being
Kinda like being a Speaker for the Dead, no?
Posted by bunbun (Member # 6814) on :
If you're interested in this kind of thing, and haven't seen it already, I strongly suggest you see Dead Man Walking. It's a really compelling film based on a book by Sister Helen Prejean. She's written extensively on her work with death row inmates.
If you think you'd like to do this kind of work, you should try to do an internship in the court system as soon as possible. Watching people destroy themselves over and over again is not easy.
Bunbun
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Speaker for the Dead Man Walking?
Seriously, though, this is an important job. Most mitigation is dismissed as "so you had a rough life? A lot of people had a rough life." Someone trained to investigate and present such information could be an excellent boon. Especially if they went in not as an advocate, but as a truth seeker.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I loved Dead Man Walking.
I'd love to do an internship in it, but my state doesn't have mitigation specialists.
Stupid NH.
I am also against the death penalty, so it would be one way for me to combat it. I'm also very interested in the criminal mind, and what makes people into criminals, etc.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Dag, that's how I see it to be. You aren't an advocate, you're a seeker and writer of the truth of that person's life, so you see that while they may have done terrible things, they are still a human being. You cannot be an advocate though, because then it wouldn't work.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Bunbun's right, though. It's hard to watch, even when it's nickel and dime stuff and you work for the prosecutor. I can't imagine doing it with someone who's life has ended up with a guilty verdict on a capital charge, with the fruits of my labor to be one of the elements that will decide if this person lives or dies.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I think it's one of the things I can handle. I've talked about the barrier thing with friends. I mean...you connect with the person, and know you are important in decisions, but at the same time, you can keep them separate from yourself. It isn't you, and you just do your best, and do all that you can.
I dunno. But I'm seriously interested in this stuff. I'm already really liking this class in the first place, which also shocked me.
Posted by bunbun (Member # 6814) on :
quote:I'd love to do an internship in it, but my state doesn't have mitigation specialists
I think we know some social workers in VT. Informational interview, anyone?
I spent a lot of time studying the death penalty and criminal law. In law school, it became really clear that I just didn't have the disposition for it. There was alot I just couldn't handle--like crimes where children were victimized.
This work is so important, though. I am glad you're going for it.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I had no idea that this sort of thing even existed until yesterday (I also didn't think I'd like this class and it turns out I DO like studying the law, at least in this aspect). But trying to find information on how to go about training to become one and finding a job as one is difficult. Hence posting on Hatrack as I look myself.
So yeah, many thanks for your input. Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
Try contacting some victim advocates, mack - they ought to be able to hook you up with folks that do this sort of thing, if only because most of 'em would be passionately against it, therefore keeping close tabs on it . . .
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Well, what's interesting is that the speaker was a domestic violence expert who'd just come off a hard, long case involving a victim of domestic violence killing her husband.
The woman was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death.
o_O
It's very complicated, the whole thing.
Yet certainly has piqued my interest to a great degree.
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
Yep - there's that aspect, too - which intrigues me also.
Posted by mothertree (Member # 4999) on :
quote: The woman was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death.
I thought there had to be circumstances like multiple victims or financial gain to get the death penalty.
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
Depends on locale, circumstances, judge, jury, PA and DA, etc . . .
there is no clear cut black-n-white rationale anywhere that says for this crime, this punishment . . .
(Edited to add: anywhere that I know of in the U.S.)
[ February 24, 2005, 11:45 PM: Message edited by: Shan ]
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Apparently the jury had come back deadlocked. Foreman told judge. Judge told foreman something to the effect of go back in there and come to a decision.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Sounds like a very intense and draining job, but if anyone can handle it and do it well, mack can. Posted by mothertree (Member # 4999) on :
I guess that's the part where all the women on the jury caved into all the men. (Where's Icarus flashing the decency of men banner?)
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Well, that's certainly jumping to unwarranted conclusions, mt! Do you actually know anything about the male/female makeup of the jury in question, or were you assuming?
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I don't think it was that, mt. I think it was the judge, instead of asking the foreman if they had already talked everything out and couldn't think of any other solutions, he made the foreman think they HAD to make a decision. Which, I guess, isn't allowed.
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