Top Honors For CWU Law And Justice Professor

February 26, 2008

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - A book co-authored by Central Washington University law and justice professor Dr. Sarah Britto, "In the Shadow of Death: Restorative Justice and Death Row Families," was listed as one of the Outstanding Academic Titles for 2007 by "Choice Current Reviews for Academic Libraries" magazine.

"In the Shadow of Death" is a culmination of several years of research, involving numerous interviews with the family members and lawyers of offenders and victims. "I am thrilled that their perspectives and experience related to the death penalty are getting recognized," said Britto. "I feel privileged to have been a part of the process."

The book focuses on the impact the death penalty has on families of death row inmates and raises awareness of the need for more help for families that suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder caused by the death of their loved ones.

For Britto, this achievement reaffirms the importance of doing research on the death penalty and restorative justice. She explained, "It's my hope that by exploring the lives of the family members of offenders on death row, we can gain insight into community systems, the criminal justice system, psychological distress and how restorative justice may be beneficial to victims' and offenders' family members, and help prevent future crime."

"Looking at the impact of crime on offenders, victims and the community through a restorative lense is embedded in much of the Law and Justice Department's course work and is also an area of scholarship for a number of our faculty," explained Mary Ellen Reimund, associate professor and chair of the CWU Department of Law and Justice. "We are hopeful that this work allows our graduates to make contributions as agents of change as they pursue careers in criminal justice, whether it be in corrections, law, probation or policing."

As stated in the "Choice" review, "Well written and compelling, this book is not for the faint of heart or for those who cannot accept the realities of social policy that is iatrogenic rather than healing, but it is a must read for those who desire justice for all those affected by the use of the death penalty."

"Choice" is a publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries that reaches almost every undergraduate college and university library in the country. The magazine reviews academic books, electronic media and Internet resources of interest to those in higher education. Only 10 percent of the 7,000 works reviewed by "Choice" each year are included in the top academic titles list.

Media Contact:
Mary Ellen Reimund, CWU Dept. of Law & Justice, 206-439-3800, reimundm@cwu.edu
Teri Olin, CWU Public Relations & Marketing, 509-963-1416, olint@cwu.edu

Central Washington University is a master's degree-granting institution with approximately 10,000 students and 1,500 faculty and staff. More than 160 undergraduate and master's degrees are offered. Founded in 1891, the Ellensburg campus is located in the heart of Washington State, nestled between the Cascade Mountains and the Columbia River. Since 1975, CWU has served the needs of place bound students at six university centers throughout the state. CWU is an AA/EEO Title IX Institution.