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Father McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, was noted for his prison ministry, and for accompanying condemned prisoners to the gallows. He didn't see any conflict between the duty of the state to protect the peaceable and law-abiding from harm, and the duty of the Church to continue to offer Christ's love and forgiveness to the legally condemned, up to the last moment of life.

Agreed. It's very easy for us (and we're all guilty of it) to get caught up in anger and wish ill on convicted criminals. However, there's even more important things than crime and punishment. Heaven, Hell, things like that. While we must punish criminals, harshly if need be, we should still pray for their souls and pray for their repentance and for God to have mercy on them. They are still God's children and His greatest wish is to have His children with Him in Heaven.