Death Penalty: A deterrent to capital crimes? Or prejudiced killing in the name of law?
The death penalty also referred to as capital punishment, is a state-sanctioned practice of killing a person as a punishment for a crime. In the United States, such punishments have had a long-standing history that is deeply intertwined with slavery, segregation, and social reform movements.
Up to date, the death penalty is still a legal punishment in 25 states in the US (as of 2020) regardless of the fact that it denies the due process of law, fails to control crime, and showcases the systemic biases of the country.
The whole process of the death penalty, from trial to execution, is tainted with discrimination and prejudice. People of color have been proven to be far more likely to be sentenced to the death penalty compared to white people. Defendants are also significantly more likely to receive a death sentence if the victim is white. In fact, statistics reveal the disturbing fact that African Americans, Latino or Hispanic defendants are overwhelmingly overrepresented on the death row, with 17 out of 20 of the inmates on death row being people of color.
Capital punishments have also raised concerns about the reliability of these convictions and the justice system. Since the 1970s, one in every eight people who have been executed are proven to be wrongfully convicted in the US. In 1973, over 156 people have been released from death row after being proved innocent. If it is unclear enough, this signifies how high the risk is that an innocent person will be wrongly executed. This is equivalent to the government accidentally killing a random person in the name of law, and tainting the reputation of an innocent person perennially.
Worst of all, death penalties have failed to be a viable method of crime control. Research by the FBI found that states with the death penalty have the highest murder rates. Furthermore, a survey of law enforcement officials (police chiefs) throughout the US also found that increasing the number of police officers, reducing drug abuse, and creating a better economy with more jobs were ranked as the best ways of reducing violence. Unsurprisingly, the death penalty was ranked as the least effective method of reducing violent crime. Because really… doesn’t the death penalty encourage violence as it is essentially preaching that violence is the solution to social problems?
As ACLU said, the imposition of capital punishment is most often arbitrary. Yet, the consequence and damage caused by it are irreversible. Individuals are infinitely stripped of the opportunity of benefitting from new evidence to prove their innocence, or at least, reverse the conviction.
The ineffectiveness, inequitability, and inaccuracy of the death penalty are undeniable. By supporting the perpetuation of capital punishment, we are advocating for systemic inequality to continue to exist in the judicial system. By keeping the perpetuation of capital punishment, we are increasing the likelihood of an innocent person being executed.
The death penalty should not be sustained. At least not in a justice system incapable of adjudging impartially.
By: Kayden Owee
