Dead Man Walking (1993) is a work of non-fiction by Sister Helen Prejean, a Roman Catholic nun and one of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Medaille based in New Orleans.  The book is signed by Sister Helen Prejean and by actor, Susan Sarandon.

Arising from her work as a spiritual adviser to two convicted murderers on Death Row, the book is set largely at the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. It examines moral issues related to the men's acknowledgement of their crimes and to the state's use of the death penalty.

Prejean has become a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty. Her campaign was initiated following her correspondence and visits that she maintained with two convicted murderers. She started this ministry in 1982. The first man was Elmo Patric Sonnier, who was sentenced to death by electric chair. She visited Sonnier in prison and agreed to be his spiritual adviser in the months leading up to his death. The second was Robert Lee Willie, for whom she also served as spiritual adviser.

Prejean gained insight into the minds of these convicted murderers and the process involved in executions, including its effects on the prison guards and other personnel. She became convinced that the state's use of the death penalty was morally wrong and began speaking out against capital punishment. At the same time, she founded Survive, an organization devoted to providing counseling to the families of victims of violence.