The Center for Death Penalty Studies at Lamar University has researched, written about, and made presentations about the death penalty for the past eight years, and the death penalty conference will be the world's leading death penalty event in terms of its scope and ambition. It brings together politicians, activists, lawyers, researchers, etc. who are involved in the death penalty research and cases.

The conference is striving to achieve the following aims:

1. To provide information about the application of the death penalty in the U.S. and Internationally;
2. assist in developing an informed position on capital punishment
3. produce a better understanding of capital punishment laws in Texas and Middle Eastern and Asian countries;
4. support national and regional abolitionist forces.