High quality drugs with speedy delivery. But as a legal issue, it is straightforward. As the hours wore on, Justice Department officials asked Ms. Longs father if he would prefer to wait for another day. If possible, you should try to take advantage of all of them. the death penalty given an alternative of life without parole, support decreases significantly.7 In 1991, Gallup found that 76% of Americans supported the death penalty, but that support would drop to 53% if life imprisonment without parole were available as an alternative.8 While most deterrence research has found that the death penalty It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. The Atlantic Monthly Group, 30 Oct. 2013. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. On July 16, Wesley Purkey was executed for the 1998 murder of a teenage girl, whom he kidnapped, raped, killed, dismembered and discarded in a septic pond. There are many different ways that the death . The recent executions reflect that consensus, as the Justice Department has an obligation to carry out the law. About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public. Mic Network Inc., 23 June 2013. Web. An additional four federal prisoners were executed in January 2021, during the last weeks of Trump's presidency. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. The divide in support for the death penalty between those with and without college degrees is seen across racial and ethnic groups, though the size of this gap varies. Four of the eight inmates were ultimately executed, while four received stays of execution. In 1999 state governments carried out ninety-eight executions, the highest number since the 1976 reinstatement of the death penalty. One year after the announcement federal executions resumed, and ten prisoners were executed by the federal government in the last six months of 2020. Puzzled, all of his main dormitory. About a quarter of Democrats (23%) strongly oppose the death penalty, compared with 17% who strongly favor it. Why its a good source: Again, this article could be used for either side of the argument. In 2006, Dr. Paul Rubin professor of economics at Emory University testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on the death penalty's "strong deterrent effect." 1. A majority of Americans (56%) say Black people are more likely than White people to be sentenced to the death penalty for being convicted of serious crimes. It also gives in-depth information about the lethal injection drug shortage and statistics on the publics views on the death sentence. Both the mean and median age of the nation's death row population was 51. That process creates peace for the victims, their families, and society in general. Web. And if death sentences are going to be imposed, they cannot just be hypothetical; they eventually have to be carried out, or the punishment will lose its deterrent and retributive effects. How do we continue to track changes in public opinion when theres a shift in survey mode?. Death Penalty Repeal: Its Necessary to Use Capital Punishment in a Free World. Mic. During the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, lawyers for federal death-row inmates Dustin Higgs and Corey Johnson argued that their clients, both of whom tested positive for COVID-19, should not be subject to lethal injection. When the District Court again imposed another last-minute stoppage, granting more time for Mr. Purkeys lawyers to argue (among other things) that he did not understand the reason for his execution, the Justice Department again sought Supreme Court review. Toobin, Jeffrey. This article examines the imposition of death sentences by geographic locale in the United States. He had set out his arguments in a major dissent in 2015, one that must have been on Justice Scalias mind when he made his comments a few months later. It concludes by stating that the execution of criminals is a deterrent for murderers and ultimately saves innocent lives. Be aware of biases. Under what conditions, if any, do you think a court should sentence a person to death? The court's ruling is believed to have made proving racial discrimination more difficult. Let's do a break down on ALL races that received a death sentence since 1977. After America's Most Wanted aired a pro-gram about him, McDuff was arrested in 1992, convicted, and given two death sentences. States and Death Row. The court determined that the unequal and arbitrary application of the death penalty to African American defendants violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Asian American adults are more divided, with half saying the death penalty deters serious crimes and a similar share (49%) saying it does not. Both rights are protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN in 1948. The death penalty helps ease overpopulation in prisons and it ensures that less tax payers' money is spent for the maintenance of individuals that have acted against society in the most violent way. At sentencing hearings, the prosecution and the defense present information about the defendant's character and background; they also submit arguments for either stern or merciful treatment. some members of Mr. Lees victims families opposed his execution. It gives direct quotes from Gallup poll findings about public opinion. The death penalty is permanent, meaning if someone is wrongfully convicted, the effects are irreversible. Here are the questions used for the report, along with responses, and its methodology. Among Democrats, adults ages 50 to 64 are much more likely than adults in other age groups to favor the death penalty. Cohen, Andrew. The Mennonite Central Committee in the U.S. has an essay on "state killing. However, Gibson does give some figures in support of using the death penalty over life in prison because, he notes, life in prison does not truly separate the criminal from society due to gang connections both in and out of prison. Well, dont worry. By Liz Mineo. In January 2021 the federal government executed Lisa Marie Montgomery, the first woman to receive such a punishment from the federal government in sixty-seven years. These rulings overturned existing standards for evidence and jury agreement when imposing the death penalty. Facing increasing pressure to rule on the constitutionality of capital punishment law, an unofficial nationwide moratorium on, or suspension of, executions began in 1968. It was delayed when his lawyers obtained six more months of review by unsuccessfully challenging the procedures used to carry out his lethal injection. Only 30% of death penalty supporters and just 6% of opponents say adequate safeguards exist to prevent innocent people from being executed. These decisions allowed the reinstatement of state death penalty laws. As of March 2021, the death penalty had been abolished in twenty-three US states and the District of Columbia. Emotional outburst disrupts death penalty trial in NY attack The sobbing father of a man convicted of killing eight people on a New York City bike path has apologized to victims and professed love for his son in the death penalty phase of the defendant's trial Feb. 22, 2023, 6:08 PM ET (AP) GOP Oklahoma lawmakers join call for death penalty pause The federal government lifted its capital punishment moratorium in 1988, though it did not carry out another execution until 2001. Large shares of Americans express concerns over how the death penalty is administered and are skeptical about whether it deters people from committing serious crimes. And while a majority of Hispanic adults without college degrees (58%) say they favor the death penalty, a smaller share (47%) of those with college degrees say this. As you can tell, there are a lot of different types of sources out theresome are emotional, some are dry and factual. The shortage resulted in the postponement of several scheduled executions. During the 1980s, more than half of all federal appeals in capital punishment cases resulted in death sentences being overturned. Last year, in part because of the coronavirus outbreak, fewer people were executed than in any year in nearly three decades. Since the countries that retain this punishment are home to over 60% of the world's population, an essay on death penalty should outline how national laws treat this topic. Opponents counter that it is an immoral and costly practice that is particularly vulnerable to racial bias. In 2020, following seventeen years without carrying out the penalty, the federal government executed ten people. What its about: Gillespies article takes a very emotional approach, saying that state governments should protect the lives of all citizens, even convicted murderers. His successor, Joe Biden, has voiced opposition to the death penalty and stated his intention to introduce reforms. The Federal Death Penalty Act prohibits the government from executing an inmate who is mentally disabled; however, in the recent executions of Corey Johnson, Alfred Bourgeois and Lisa. Robbery Turned Murder: Robert Trease Case . The New York Times Company, 28 Sept. 2003. For this analysis, we surveyed 5,109 U.S. adults from April 5 to 11, 2021. According to data from Amnesty International, there were 579 executions in 2021, which represents a 20% increase from 2020. Gillespie, Nick. Governors had placed moratoriums on the death penalty in an additional three states. In a pro death penalty article, the author . More than eight-in-ten Democrats (83%) instead say that Black people are more likely than White people to be sentenced to the death penalty for committing similar crimes. The third execution, of Dustin Honken, occurred on schedule, but still too late for some of his victims families. This month, for the first time in 17 years, the United States resumed carrying out death sentences for federal crimes. Most states authorized a system of allowing the jury to decide the guilty party's punishment, though some allowed judges to make the decision or retain the right to overrule the jury. And Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who held the decisive vote in many closely divided cases until his retirement in 2018, had written the majority opinions in several 5-to-4 decisions that imposed limits on the death penalty, including ones barring the execution of juvenile offenders and people convicted of crimes other than murder. White: 48.6%. This article is for those who are willing to know why death penalty is justifiable. More Americans favor than oppose the death penalty: 60% of U.S. adults favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder, including 27% who strongly favor it. The Federal Death Penalty Act prohibits the government from executing an inmate who is mentally disabled; however, in the recent executions of Corey Johnson, Alfred Bourgeois and Lisa Montgomery, their defense teams, families and others argued that they had intellectual disabilities. One of the most popular topics for an argument essay is the death penalty. Among Democrats, a 55% majority of conservatives and moderates favor the death penalty, a position held by just 36% of liberal Democrats (64% of liberal Democrats oppose the death penalty). Capital punishment enables the state to assert its authority over the people and serve in its role as the administrator of justice. The United States Constitution expressly contemplates capital crimes, and Congress has authorized the death penalty for serious federal offenses since President George Washington signed the Crimes Act of 1790. Two months after these executions, on March 24, 2021, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed a bill passed by the Democratic-majority state legislature that abolished the death penalty in the state. The rulings followed the appointment of five members of the conservative Federalist Society to the court in under a year. Addressing the Counterarguments. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans who favor the death penalty most often cite "an eye for an eye" as the reason they hold their position, with 35% mentioning it. Web. However, later on this type of punishment came to be regarded as a . Is it morally wrong? 14 Jan. 2015. Vast racial disparities in the administration of the death penalty have been found. Read the overview below to gain an understanding of the issues surrounding the death penalty and explore the previews of additional articles highlighting diverse perspectives. A 58% majority of 50- to 64-year-old Democrats favor the death penalty, compared with 47% of those ages 35 to 49 and about four-in-ten Democrats who are 18 to 34 or 65 and older. For example, about two-thirds of conservative Republicans (65%) say this compared with 34% who say there are adequate safeguards to ensure that no innocent person will be executed despite conservative Republicans expressing quite favorable attitudes toward the death penalty on other questions. Why? Why its a good source: This source gives a lot of specific information about what one state is doing wrong, complete with anecdotes and numbers. Mr. Lees lawyers and other death penalty opponents are entitled to disagree with that sentiment. Given the long delay that had already occurred, the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to lift the order so the execution could proceed. Correctional Facilities Directory By State. Choose articles from reputable sources. When researching a topic for an argumentative essay, accuracy is important, which means the quality of your sources is important. SIRS Issues Researcher For instance, nine-in-ten of those who favor the death penalty also say that the death penalty is morally justified when someone commits a crime like murder. Use ProCon.org to help students strengthen their persuasive writing by identifying and responding to counterarguments. Cruel and Unusual. New Yorker. Those who oppose the death penalty, will ALWAYS state that the death penalty is given to more blacks, which in return makes it racially biased and unfair to the black community. Pew Research Center conducted this study to better understand Americans views about the death penalty. He said that death row exonerations were frequent, that death sentences were imposed arbitrarily and that the capital justice system was marred by racial discrimination. However, just 26% of Democrats who favor the death penalty say that Black and White people are equally likely to receive this sentence, and only 6% of Democrats who oppose the death penalty say this. However, the nationwide execution rate began a slow but steady rise. Web. Bryan Stevenson. About eight-in-ten White Republicans favor the death penalty, as do about seven-in-ten Hispanic Republicans (69%). Because of this unique argument, this article should not be ignored. Mercy and pardon are proper to God . It then discusses the problems that the United States has had in procuring the drugs needed for lethal injectionsthe drugs supplied from Europe have been sold under the condition that they not be used for lethal injection. Instead of serving a lifelong custodial sentence, the criminal will wait on 'death row', eventually being executed. Inside, the mood was somber. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (1972), the Court invalidated existing death penalty laws because they constituted cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment. Arguments on both sides of the capital punishment debate draw support from the US Constitution. Or do you think it should be abolished? Also, the death penalty is a problem which costs money for the country. Overall, White adults are more likely to favor the death penalty than Black or Hispanic adults, while White and Asian American adults are equally likely to favor the death penalty. Web. Illegal Immigration. It can also be used as an important negotiating tool for the police and the justice system, as where the possible sentence is death, the prisoner . In your opinion, should pharmaceutical companies have the right to refuse to sell drugs for executions? The Daily Beast, 31 July 2014. Other states sought to carry out their scheduled executions using experimental combinations of drugs. Also, check with your teacher to see if you should be using a different type of citation style in your paper (such as APA or Chicago). The death penalty is far more expensive than a system in which life imprisonment without parole is the maximum sentence. In Expedited Spree of Executions Faced Little Supreme Court Scrutiny, Adam Liptak writes about the recent federal executions: In 2015, a few months before he died, Justice Antonin Scalia said he would not be surprised if the Supreme Court did away with the death penalty. In the US, that number is 65%. Sentencing a person to death for the rape or murder of an innocent person affirms the value of the life of the victim, and should bring more comfort to the victim's family. Concludes by stating that the execution of criminals is a problem which costs money for the victims, families... To the court 's ruling is believed to have made proving racial discrimination more difficult information about the penalty. In public opinion should not be ignored emotional, some are dry and factual identifying responding!, following seventeen years without carrying out the law the author Republicans ( 69 %.! Companies have the right to refuse to sell drugs for executions appointment five. 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