Dead Man Walking: The US nun who took on the death penalty, part 1

When Sister Helen Prejean agreed to correspond with a convicted murderer on Louisiana’s death row in 1982, she had no idea she would end up becoming his spiritual advisor, eventually accompanying him to his execution two years later. The experience changed her profoundly. She wrote a book about what she'd witnessed on death row, Dead Man Walking, which was turned into a major Hollywood movie in 1995. Forty years later, she has witnessed six more state executions - and is still tirelessly fighting to end them.

When Jane Couch won the women’s boxing world title in 1996, it wasn’t even legal for her to box at home in Britain. The struggle to get her sport recognised would become her most gruelling fight, as she faced scepticism and sexism from many quarters. She told Outlook about the physical and mental strain she endured during her career, and how she had to rebuild her life after boxing. This interview was first broadcast in 2020.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Zoe Gelber

Photo: Sister Helen Prejean in Austin, Texas, in 1998. Credit: Andrew Lichtenstein/Sygma/Getty Images