University of Richmond hosts former Virginia executioner to discuss criminal justice and why he now opposes the death penalty

The University of Richmond will host an interview with Virginia’s former executioner Jerry Givens on Thursday, September 24 from 5-6:30 p.m. in the Gottwald Center for the Sciences Auditorium. The event is open to the public and a reception will follow.

From 1982 to 1999, Jerry Givens put 62 prisoners to death in his role as Virginia’s state executioner. He now opposes execution and will discuss the death penalty, America’s criminal justice system and how his profession informed his views when he visits Richmond.

“Understanding why Virginia’s executioner of 17 years now opposes execution adds a measure of insight rarely captured in discussions about the death penalty today,” says Corinna Lain, associate dean for faculty development and professor of law at the Richmond School of Law. “Givens offers a powerful, riveting account of the death penalty where the rubber hits the road—executions.”

This interview is part of a series of events designed around One Book, One Richmond, a campus-wide effort that encourages students, staff, faculty and community members to read and discuss a selected book on a social justice issue. This year’s selection, “Just Mercy,” by Bryan Stevenson, is one lawyer’s story of a broken justice system.

For more information, visit the university’s website.

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