Sister Helen Prejean was born on April 21, 1939, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She joined the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille (now known as The Congregation of St. Joseph) in 1957 and received a B.A. in English and Education from St. Mary's Dominican College, New Orleans in 1962. In 1973, she earned an M.A. in Religious Education from St. Paul's University in Ottawa, Canada. She has been the Religious Education Director at St. Frances Cabrini Parish in New Orleans, the Formation Director for her religious community, and has taught junior and senior high school students.

Sister Helen began her prison ministry in 1981 when she dedicated her life to the poor of New Orleans. While living in the St. Thomas housing project, she became pen pals with Patrick Sonnier, the convicted killer of two teenagers, sentenced to die in the electric chair of Louisiana's Angola State Prison.

Upon Sonnier's request, Sister Helen repeatedly visited him as his spiritual advisor. In doing so, her eyes were opened to the Louisiana execution process. Sister Helen turned her experiences into a book that not only made the 1994 American Library Associates Notable Book List, it was also nominated for a 1993 Pulitzer Prize. Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States was number one on the New York Times Best Seller List for 31 weeks. It also made the International Best Seller List and has been translated into ten different languages.

In January 1996, the book was developed into a major motion picture starring Susan Sarandon as Sister Helen and Sean Penn as a death row inmate. Produced by Polygram Pictures, the film was directed and written by Tim Robbins. The movie received four Oscar nominations including Tim Robbins for Best Director, Sean Penn for Best Actor, Susan Sarandon for Best Actress, and Bruce Springsteen's "Dead Man Walkin'" for Best Song. Susan Sarandon won the award for Best Actress.

The book was the basis for a new opera. It was presented by the San Francisco Opera and premiered in October 2000. The libretto was written by Terrance McNally. Jake Heggie composed the music.

Sister Helen and Dead Man Walking have been the subject of numerous media stories and reviews in the U.S., Canada, Spain, Holland, England, Scotland, France and Australia. She has been featured in the New York Times Magazine, Vogue, Good Housekeeping, the St. Anthony Messenger, the Ligourian, the Chicago Tribune, the Atlanta Constitution, the Times Picayune, the San Francisco Chronicle, the New Orleans Magazine, the Tablet, Sisters Today and numerous other print media.

Her broadcast appearances include 60 Minutes, NBC's Today Show, ABC World News Tonight; the Tom Snyder Show on CNBC, Larry King Live (radio), the Phil Donahue Show, BBC World Service Radio, National Public Radio's Weekend Edition and Fresh Air, an NBC Special on the Death Penalty, the Canadian Broadcast Company Man Alive, the BBC's Everyman, ABC's Prime Times Live, and PBS' Frontline.

Fifteen years after beginning her crusade, the Roman Catholic sister has witnessed five executions in Louisiana and today educates the public about the death penalty by lecturing, organizing and writing. As the founder of "Survive," a victim's advocacy group in New Orleans, she continues to counsel not only inmates on death row, but the families of murder victims, as well.

Sister Helen has served on the board of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty from 1985–1995, and has served as Chairperson of the Board from 1993–1995. She is also a member of Amnesty International and an honorary member of Murder Victim Families for Reconciliation. She presently is the Honorary Chairperson of Moratorium Campaign, a group gathering signatures for a world-wide moratorium on the death penalty. On December 18, 2000 S. Helen, Paul Hoffman, board member of Amnesty International and Mario Marizziti, representative of The St. Egidio Community in Rome, Italy presented Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the U.N. with 2.5 million signatures from people all over the world who are calling for a moratorium on the death penalty.

Her book Dead Man Walking was on the New York Times bestseller list for 31 weeks.  It was also on the International bestseller list.  It has been translated into ten different languages.

Presently, S. Helen is working on a book for Random House Publishers on 2 possible innocent men on death row.

HONORS AND AWARDS

1986 - the Abolitionist Award from the Louisiana Capitol Defense Project.

1990 - the Sanctity of Life Award from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Mike McGough Award from the Convocation of Jail and Prison Ministers.

1992 - the National Abolitionist Award given by the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty; the Catholic Press Association Journalism Award, Best Short Story - "Beloved Sons" - St. Anthony Messenger.

1993 - the Christopher Award was given to Dead Man Walking for "artistic excellence affirming the highest value of the human spirit;" the Herbert and Sara Ehrmann Award from Massachusetts Citizens Against the Death Penalty; named One of the Most confident Woman in America by McCall Magazine.

1994 - the Champion of Liberty Award from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (first time given to a non-lawyer); the Pax Christi USA Book Award (Honorable mention); the Melcher Book Award (Honorable mention) given by the Unitarian Universalist Association; Isaac Hecker Award for Social Justice by Paulist Center, Boston, MA;  Lifelines Book of the year from the Lifelines Association in the United Kingdom; the Abolitionist Award from the Death Penalty Focus, California; the "Esse non Videre" award ("To be and not to seem") from St. Joseph's College, New York; the National Civil Liberties Award from the American Civil Liberties Union, Georgia; the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights Award from Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights; Mirabella Magazine named her among "100 Fearless Women."

1995 - the New Orleans Business Women's Owners Association Achievers Award; Citizen of the Year Award from Louisiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers; the Wade Mackie Award Peacemaking Award from Bienville House in Baton Rouge Louisiana; an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Glasgow, Scotland; the Justice Albert Tate, Jr. Award' from the National Association of Defense Lawyers in New Orleans; the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship; the Christopher Spirit Award, New York, N.Y.

1996 - an honorary degree from Regis College in Cambridge, MA; an honorary degree from Seton Hall University in New Jersey; an honorary degree from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia; an honorary degree from St. John's University in Jamaica, New York; an honorary degree from George Town University Washington, D.C.; a Torchbearer Award from the Dominican College

in New Orleans, LA; an award for the Alliance for Justice; the Laetare Medal from

Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana; was asked to carry the torch for the Olympics in New Orleans on May 24,1996;   the St Thomas More Award from St. Mary's School of Law in San Antonio, Texas; the Vision 2000 Courage Award from Catholic Charities U.S.A. and the 1996 Roger Baldwin Award from the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Massachusetts; received the Humanitas Prize as a consultant for the film Dead Man Walking; the Eyewitness Award of the Illinois Coalition Against the Death Penalty; the Adele Dewyer - St. Thomas of Villanova Peace Award by Villanova University Center for Peace and

Justice; the Florida Lasker Civil Liberties Award by the New York Civil Liberties Union; the Pope Paul VI Teacher of Peace Award by Pax Christi USA.

1997 - an honorary doctorate from Mt. St. Vincent College in Riverdale, New York; the Carondelet Medal from Mt. ST. Mary College in Los Angeles, California and an honorary doctorate from Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts; the Louisiana Legends Award in Baton Rouge, Louisiana by the Louisiana Public Broadcasting. 

1998 - the Ben Smith Award from the American Civil Liberties Union in New Orleans, La.; the Robert O. Cooper Fellowship in Peace and Justice Award and the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa; the Abolitionist of the Year Award from Juneau, Alaska; the award at the 5^th annual celebration of Women Week from Y.M.C.A. in New Orleans; an honorary degree from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington; an honorary degree from Notre Dame College in Manchester, New Hampshire; an honorary degree from St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa and an honorary degree from St. Joseph College in West Hartford, CT; the Peacemakers Award from ROCA, Inc.; an honorary Faculty Award from New England College, NH.

1999 - an honorary degree from Briar Cliff College in Sioux City, Iowa; an honorary degree from Maryville University in St Louis, Missouri; an honorary degree from Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida; an honorary degree from Avila college in Kansas City; an honorary degree from Cabrini College in Radnor, Pennsylvania; an honorary degree from the University of San Francisco; an honorary degree from Holy Cross College in Worchester, Massachusetts; the Catholic Woman of Achievement Award from the College of St. Elizabeth in New Jersey; the 1999 U.S. Catholic Award from the U.S. Catholic Magazine in Chicago; the Pope John XXII Award at Viterbo College in La Crosse, Wisconsin; the Alumna of the Year Award from St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada; the Distinguished Service Award from the National Council of Catholic Women; the Centennial Catholic Woman of Achievement Award from Lourdes College in Sylvania, Ohio; the Centennial Catholic Woman of Achievement Award from St. Norbert College in DePerre, Wisconsin.

2000 - the Bishop Dingman Peace Award from the Catholic Peace Ministry in Des Moines, Iowa. She received the Bishop Carroll Dozier Peace and Justice Award from the Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee; an honorary degree from the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario; an honorary degree DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois; an honorary degree from Northeastern University in Boston, MA; the Human Rights Award from The St. Anthony Messenger in Padua, Italy;   an honorary degree from St. Thomas University in Fredericton New Brunswick, Canada.

2001 - the Harry F. Fagan Roundtable Award;  an honorary degree from St. Mary of the Woods from Terra Haute, Indiana; an honorary degree from Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia; an honorary degree from the University of Scranton in Scranton, Pennsylvania; an honorary degree from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas;  an honorary degree from St. Rose College in Albany, New York.

2002 - the Ut Diligatis Invicem Award from Gannon University, Erie, PA; an honorary degree from Ball State University, Muncie, ID; an honorary degree from Marygrove College, Detroit, MI.; an honorary degree from Governors State University, University Park, IL; an honorary degree from University of Dayton, Dayton, OH; an honorary degree from National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland; Caritas Award from Catholic Charities in Paterson, New Jersey; the Dignitas Humana Award from St. John's School of Theology and Seminary, Collegeville, MN.


2003 - Franciscan International Award from Franciscan Retreats, Prior Lake, MN; an honorary degree from Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL; an honorary degree from Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, IL.

Contact: Sister Margaret Maggio, (504) 948-6557