DeathQuest: An Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Capital Punishment in the United States

The first true textbook on the death penalty, this text provides an exhaustive introduction, starting with its history and taking the reader through the facts, issues, opinions and controversies surrounding capital punishment. The author's motivation has been to understand what motivates the "deathquest" of the American people, leading a large percentage of the public to support the death penalty. The book will educate readers so that whatever their death penalty opinions are, they are informed ones.

• Discussion questions accompany each chapter.


• Appendix contains ABA guidelines for appointment and performance of defense counsel in death penalty cases.

Robert M. Bohm is a professor at the University of Central Florida Department of Criminal Justice. A prolific author and speaker, Professor Bohm's work has appeared in numerous publications. He is a frequent presenter and speaker at meetings and seminars of a variety of professional associations, including the American Society of Criminology, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and the Southern Criminal Justice Association. Professor Bohm is a past-president (1992-93) and Fellow (1999) of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, from which he has also received the Founder's Award (2001) and the Bruce Smith, Sr. Award (2008).