Women On Death Row Research Paper

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, “As of January 1, 2016 there were 55 women on death row.” Women on Death Row II introduced four women who were on death row but now have a lesser sentence. Those women are Deidre Hunt, Melonie Anderson, and Elizabeth Green; along with a social worker who is currently trying to help women on death row make sure they are rightfully convicted. This paper will cover their stories and how it relates to current topics in Family Violence. Deidre Hunt was severely abused when she was younger and raped by the age eleven. By the second grade she was taking several types of drugs, by fourth grade she was having sex with several men. Later on, many of her relationships turned out to be abusive. By age twenty-two Hunt fell in love with Kosta Fotopoulos who abused her, yet when looking at video that she is in, Hunt does not seem intimidated by him at all. Hunt was given the death penalty for shooting murders of two men she involve in a murder for money scheme. She was videotaped by Fotopoulos when she committed those murders. Hunt also hired an ex-boyfriend to kill Kosta’s wife, which in

All of them also turned to drugs as well. “Victims are at greater risk for many other problems throughout their lives, including participation in violent crime” (Kindschi Gosselin 2014:139). All of these women participated in violent crimes and unfortunately because their abusive history it was almost bound to happen. Victims of abuse tend to gravitate toward abusive relationships, drugs, and violent behavior to feel as if they are in control. These women were not in prison for abusive behavior but for violent behavior caused by their abusive backgrounds. The social worker in the video suggests that those who are in prison that have an abusive past should be able to receive rehabilitation services in order to correct their aggressive