Jeanne Woodford, a former warden of San Quentin prison, offers a perspective on the evolution of her views on the death penalty in this brief video in which she is interviewed by Fr. George Horan of the Office for Restorative Justice of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Jeanne spent over twenty-six years working in the California prison in various roles, ultimately as Director of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitiation. She recounts how she oversaw four executions as warden of San Quentin. She also indicates how the depth of her experiences with inmates and their families, victims of violent crime and their family, and her overall awareness of the administration of the death penalty has led her to become a leading advocate for ending capital punishment.

This article first appeared  in CMN’s October 2012 newsletter.