Sister Helen Prejean, a nun with the Order of Saint Joseph of Medaille since 1957, has been accompanying death-row inmates to their executions since 1982. In her award-winning book "Dead Man Walking," which was made into a film in 1995, she relates the spiritual journey she went through with death-row inmate Patrick Sonnier.

Sister Prejean was recently in Japan to campaign against the death penalty along with the family of the late Tairyu Furukawa. He devoted his life to proving the innocence of Takeo Nishi, who was executed in 1975.

What was your first encounter with the death penalty?