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Death Penalty & Crime

03/27/15
Cameron Careathers
WRT 1020
Prof. Agee

Madonna University

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The United States of America, Home of capitalism, freedom of speech, and generally
overall liberty. This country stands on core democratic values of pursuit of happiness, liberty,
justice, and life. But if citizens have a right to life, does the government hold the right to death?
One of the most debatable topics since the electric chair has left our country in question and
confusion. The death penalty of course holds the title for this reference. When inexcusable
heinous crimes are committed the U.S constitution holds right for a jury to select to put the
culprit to death. However, arent heinous and gruesome crime committed often? And has the
offenders of those crimes heard of the death penalty? Absolutely, no question about it everyone
in the country is aware that the death penalty exist. Has that stopped criminals from homicide?
Has it stopped offenders from getting assault rifles and committing genocide? It has not and with
the rate of the death penalty being decreased is there a point in having it? Although the death
penalty is the ultimate form of justice, and heinous criminals are fully aware of its existence, the
death penalty does not lower crime in our country because humans will naturally do what they
please, also because factors surrounding the death penalty and our citizens question whether it
should even exist.
The death penalty in the United States is extremely diminishing, meaning it isnt given
out as punishment for crimes as much as it was in the past. In 2013 Maryland became the 18th
state to ban the death penalty, and only nine states accounted for the 39 executions conducted
nationwide. (CQ Researcher, 2014) this shows that the death penalty isnt as prevalent as it was
in recent history. Research specifically accounts that the support for capital punishment has
fallen a great 71% since 1978 (CQ Researcher, 2014) with the support for the death penalty

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falling , of course states are slowly beginning to recede away from it. The point being if states
are barely issuing capital punishment, explain to me again how it is contributing to lowering
crime in our country?
The death penalty has also been proven in our country to be racially biased. The death
penalty was most prevalent from the 1920s to the 1980s. Around that time era, especially in the
south, African Americans were barely looked at as humans. We couldnt vote for a period of time
because of restrictions of literacy test, we couldnt use the restroom in the same facility, eat in the
same facility, so what allows you to believe that the hesitation of the death penalty wouldnt be
issued to a black criminal. They were killing innocent blacks just for being blacks, if the
government could do it legally it was just a plus. Between 1995 and 2000 there were 159 cases
approved by federal attorneys and 72% of the approved cases belonged to minorities.
(Constitutional Rights Foundation). This statistic proves that our country is biased about the
death penalty and values the life of the White race particularly more. And please do not let a
individual perform a heinous act on a Caucasian person! Since 1973 77% of death row offenders
were guilty of killing white victims (Amnesty International). This is an overwhelming majority,
when white officers kill blacks every day and do not even face conviction of any sort. Is this fair?
How is this lowering crime in anyway? If anything for this purpose, this is a valid reason why
some argue the penalty shouldnt exist at all. Everyone who is sentenced to the death penalty
should be rightfully sentenced for obvious in-humane acts. Not simply because one does not
identify in the same ethnic group as you.
Death Penalties seem to strike more fear in governments hearts then vicious murders.
This meaning, a criminal who sets out to take a life who has his/her mind driven, is most likely
going to commit that murder despite recognition of the death penalty. While the government is

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now even more skeptical to give the death penalty due to capital trial cost. The cost of
putting someone to death is a lot more expensive looking on the outside in. studies show that it
cost our country 1.6billion dollars a year to fund capital punishment related things (Death
Penalty Information Center) Lets break the cost down through different states as well. It cost the
state of California 137 million a year with its current justice system containing capital
punishment, without capital punishment research shows it could be dwindled down to 11.5
million a year (Amnesty International). Also in a state like Texas were the death penalty is most
prevalent in our country, each death penalty case in Texas costs taxpayers about $2.3 million.
That is about three times the cost of imprisoning someone in a single cell at the highest security
level for 40 years. (Death Penalty Information Center). This information provides proof of
unnecessary cost that could be put elsewhere for more effective use. And hypothetically speaking
, if the death penalty did lower the crime in our country it wouldnt matter because the cost are so
high it would bankrupt states quickly, and courts are reluctant to give out the death penalty now
for this exact reason. Should killing a person be this expensive when the person receiving the
death penalty killed for nearly no cost? Another fact presented that gives fuel to the individuals
who question capitals punishments existence.
People who have been sentenced to death penalty arent always guilty either. Convicting
an innocent person of the death penalty is especially unjust. And lots of people have thought to
been innocently executed. Since 1973 140 people have been released from death row under
terms that they have been found to be innocent. (Amnesty International). Convictions of the
innocent have many possible factors. Racial Prejudice of course is prominent, the community
wanting to convict the offender, and poor representation. How can anyone support a system of

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justice that is so iffy? These things do not help lower crime! But just makes citizens more rowdy
to commit more crimes. Convicting the innocent is a great way to get a riot on your Hands and
with riots come vandalism, destruction of property, assault, all these crimes committed stemming
from one wrongful death. Sounds like the death penalty is causing crime rather than preventing it
in some instances.
Most specifically, the crime most associated with the death penalty is murder/homicide.
But criminologist do not even believe that the death penalty deters the murder rate. To be
specific 88% of criminologist who were asked this question during a survey believed it did not
deter murder in anyway. (Amnesty International). If the crime most associated with the death
penalty is not being affected is there a point in having it? Research also showed states with
capital punishment versus states without the death penalty using the FBIs statistic of murder rate
per 100,000 in a chart, and the murder rates were nearly identical. (Amnesty International) it is
clear that criminals do not care about the death penalty. Humans who intended on doing heinous
crimes will do them regardless of law or capital punishment. And this occurs because humans
either do not care about the consequences, do not fully acknowledge them, or they honestly
believe that they will not get caught. Either way the death penalty isnt stopping anything or
anyone.
The death penalty is not only poorly effective, but research also shows that capital
punishment in our country is extremely arbitrary and unfair. With wrongful executions,
convicting the innocent, and racial bias, most of the inmates who have been sentenced to death
and are on death row cannot afford their own lawyer (Amnesty International). Their stuck with
some public defender who probably has researched the case on his/ her on, and regardless if the

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defendant is guilty or not, a stigma is already placed into the lawyers brain and most likely have
poor representation. Local politics, plea bargaining, and the location of the crime often makes
who lives and who dies a lottery process. (Amnesty International) Intensive research also shows
that 82% of all executions ever committed in this country took place in the harsh south!
(Amnesty International) Let alone 37% of the executions have taken place in Texas alone. All of
these statistics proves negative information and not one stat says anything about crime being
fixed because of capital punishment. All these facts open the nations eyes and makes people
wonder why we have such an unsure system of taking peoples lives? All information given
proves that the death penalty is not effective at all.
One may say that the death penalty is the perfect way for justice for especially heinous
crimes. While this argument proves to be understandable, there are many loopholes with this
statement. With all the unjust things that occur within the capital punishment process that has be
proven in this paper makes the oppositions argument invalid. When a person is sentenced to
death for means of prejudice reasons such as race, sexuality, or social/monetary class it throws
the statistics in the garbage. How can capital punishment be the ultimate form of justice when the
system in which people are selected is unfair? The research and evidence provided in the paper
shows the corruption and the human variable in selection. Meaning that humans have their own
personal beliefs and feelings toward each other whether the feelings work out for what we know
as justice or send the wrong person to death row.
Should we have this system in our country? When people on death row just sit there for
years. For example, the state of California has more inmates on death row than any other state.
(CQ Researcher, 2014). But the fact of the matter with this is that the state of California hasnt
executed anyone for 8 years. This is because of the controversies concerning lethal injection and

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the shortage of drugs being used to perform capital punishment. (CQ Researcher, 2014) Holding
prisoners on death row for years is one of the most expensive things one could do. The state of
California spends more the 4 billion dollars a year to house death row inmates, defend against
legal challenges, and other death row related expenses. (CQ Researcher, 2014) This 4 billion
dollars being used to house criminals awaiting there death for being as sick minded as most of
them are. The 4 billion being spent on criminals could be spent on higher education, funding
road repairs, or even helping the debt that were in. the waste of currency is ridiculous and we
could truly use it for something else more useful. The death penalty serves purposeless to our
country. It causes nothing but mischief and more death in our country. Killing the person who
killed another will not bring anyone back.
Americans are having trouble carrying out the death penalty these days anyway because
of drug issues. With lethal injection being the most used method of capital punishment, the lethal
combination of drugs to carry out the execution must be perfect. But statistics show in 2011,
when Hospira Inc. stopped creating the drug and selling it to the U.S it became a great shortage
of lethal injection in our country (CQ Researcher, 2014). The company said that it was a
distressing misuse of the drug and stop sales for execution. If our country has to go all out our
way and put money into another countries thriving economy to kill someone, thats simply
preposterous. The capital punishment in our country is completely discombobulated. Other
countries have a strict system. Thats if they even have capital punishment, most of Europe and
lots of other countries have completely banned the death penalty from there criminal justice
system. Are we as a country behind? We are the super power of the world but still use primitive
tactics. Its a shame and we have to move on to bigger and better things as a country.

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In conclusion, this country as a whole has dealt with capital punishment in some form or
fashion since the beginning. But statistics show after trying to organize the law in 1976, it has
brought nothing but misfortune. Some argue that it deters but research proves otherwise. We are
destroying are countries economy with billions of wasted dollars that could be better used
somewhere else. While our country is being ravished with crazed cop killers, debt, poverty, a
dying middle class, and an expensive education system. While European countries are offering
education on higher levels for free. We maybe the worlds superpower, but we have lots of issues.
The criminal justice system is so unfair and unjust, like stated in the paper it is often a lottery for
who lives and who dies. Race and money control our court system and if your black and poor it
seems like your threw under the bus. The capital punishment laws do not deter crime. The simple
fact remains under all of this lumped research is that humans will be humans. Its against the law
to litter, yet everywhere you go there is trash to see. Murder is illegal and will happen no matter
what law is in place. And examples are occurring every day that support. There should be no
capital punishment in our country. No human should decide whether someone lives or dies
simply because humans are imperfect. What one person may see something as just and another
may not. There are too many uncontrolled variables and you are playing with a persons life. The
death penalty being stopped will cause nothing but good, while continuing capital punishment
will only cause death. Use the money that you would use to kill the perpetrator, to fund a worthy
teens education.

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Abstract:
In this paper I will discuss whether the death penalty and give research on factors
concerning it. I will explain statistics and research that prove capital punishment should not exist,
and that it does not deter crime. Also I will be giving suggestions on what we should do with the
money instead of performing executions. Billions of dollars are spent a year in states with capital
punishment, that money could go into our economy. Also race and ethnic factors will be
discussed for they serve a main role in why certain people fall victim to capital punishment. Not
only race and ethnic background, but your financial background as well. I will prove the criminal
justice systems means of capital punishment unjust from common sense down to the defense of
the person on trial.

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Bibliography
Amnesty International. (n.d.). Know the Facts About Capital Punishment. Retrieved
from http://www.amnestyusa.org/:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/pdfs/DeathPenaltyFactsMay2012.pdf
Constitutional Rights Foundation. (n.d.). The Color of justice. Retrieved from
http://www.crf-usa.org/brown-v-board-50th-anniversary/the-color-ofjustice.html
CQ Researcher. (2014, May). Death Penalty. Retrieved from
http://library.cqpress.com/
Death Penalty Information Center. (n.d.). Financial Facts About the Death Penalty.
Retrieved from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/:
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/costs-death-penalty

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