the volunteer: the failure of the death penalty in america and one inmate’s quest to die with dignity by gianna toboni

the discourse surrounding capital punishment has interested me for years. as an attorney who has always identified as staunchly opposed to the death penalty, toboni’s upcoming release, which focuses on scott dozier’s request for an expedited execution in nevada, really sunk its teeth into me in unexpected ways. i tear up thinking of the trauma and pain dozier endured at the hands of the state just by writing this review, and i struggle with what the “right answer” is when capital punishment is involved. and while i still think that government-sanctioned murder is heinous and should be abolished, i can’t help but think of dozier’s wishes and wonder how much harm comes from that stance, especially as someone that has no touch points with death row inmates.

in the prologue, toboni describes scott dozier by writing how “his vocabulary was as advanced as his use of profanities. his jokes often revolved around his imminent state-sanctioned murder. his personal relationships with family and friends were genuine, strong, and loving. he wasn’t quick to claim his innocence.” interwoven between the history of capital punishment and past botched executions, toboni exposes scott dozier’s humanness. she writes of his rambunctious spirit, his sense of humor, his loyal nature, and his crimes. she engages him about his impending death at the hand of the state, probes him to examine his decision to die and whether that is a better alternative to living out his days on death row. dozier’s conversations (at least seem to) change toboni’s perspective on the death penalty, and they certainly altered my own.

the US government fails at a lot of things. to believe that it is well-equipped to determine whether a convicted individual is deserving of the death penalty and will carry it out humanely defies logic—at least to me. the state’s repeated failures to carry out dozier’s wishes to be executed is indicative of the greater failure of our penal system, of the hypocrisy of state-sanctioned killings, of the lack of rehabilitation in prisons around the country. as toboni wrote, dozier may have deserved to be locked up, but he also deserved to be treated humanely by his own government. he was right to ask why the death penalty exists is states can’t—or won’t—carry it out.

my heart aches for scott dozier, for his family, for the families affected by his crimes. i’m in awe of toboni’s work and her ability to connect with dozier and share his story with the world. this book is wildly impactful and i hope others give this a shot when it’s released in 2025.

*The Volunteer* by Gianna Toboni is a gripping and thought-provoking exploration of Scott Dozier's decision to expedite his own execution after being convicted of two brutal murders. Toboni masterfully tells the story of Dozier, whose choice to end his life swiftly contrasts sharply with the chaotic and often botched process of capital punishment in the United States. Through Dozier’s case, the book delves into the many flaws of the death penalty system, exposing its inefficiency, rising costs, and human toll.

Toboni takes readers on a sobering journey through the complexities of lethal injection, black market drug dealing, and the shifting methods of execution that some states are considering in response to failures. The investigation is not just a deep dive into Dozier’s life and his case, but also a larger critique of a system that has failed to meet its intended goals.

This book is a powerful examination of the death penalty’s many shortcomings, offering a sobering look at the moral and practical consequences of state-sanctioned killings. Whether you agree with capital punishment or not, *The Volunteer* raises important questions about the effectiveness and humanity of this practice, making it an essential read for those interested in justice and the future of the death penalty in America.

The Volunteer is a critique of the death penalty within the criminal justice system in the United States. The author, Gianna Toboni, describe facets involving the death pin the United States that cause controversy, including suffering of those on death row.

In describing the road blocks that have been put into place to prevent the carrying out of a death sentence and that there are people who actually want their death sentence carried out believing their wait is cruel and unusual punishment, Toboni describes in detail her interactions with Scot Dozier and his quest to die. While doing so, Toboni goes deep into Dozier's history which landed him in death row and describes everything involved into how the death penalty is carried out and all the work being done to prolong life on death row and the work being done to abolish the death penalty itself.

The Volunteer is a compelling book about the death penalty in the United States that would be a great read for people interested in the history of the death penalty, the U.S. criminal justice system and examples of what is currently the status of the death penalty and how people see it and why as well as what actions people are talking.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Volunteer, by Gianna Toboni, is an in-depth look into the death penalty in the United States. The book intertwines a moral and (more uniquely) practical view on capital punishment with the story of Scott Dozier, an inmate on death row who is volunteering, practically begging, to be put to death.

This is an incredible book that will put you through all the emotions - you can feel the author's struggle to come to terms with her own feelings on not only the death penalty but with the treatment of a convicted murderer. By the end - I still didn't know how to feel about the topic. Should capital punishment exist? If it does exist, why is it so difficult and costly to go through with it? There are details in the book about the prison system and the treatment of inmates that is almost unbelievable.

My favourite book I've read in 2024!

This is such a good book, I think everyone should read a bit into prisons and how they are for-profit, and they goal of prisons is to make money. It is a whole mess. Instead of helping people get better and become a better person for society, it does not matter. I think they book was really good and informative!!


Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!