Since the colonial times in America, an estimated 15,269 people have been executed by the death penalty. Today, there is a debate around the use of the death penalty; whether it is just, worth the costs, and an effective deterrent of crime. 

Racism in Capital punishment

To understand the perspectives on the death penalty, it is important to understand its statistically proven racial motivations. The following statistics support the notion that the application of capital punishment is influenced by the race of both of the offender and the victim.

• People of color disproportionately makeup 43% of total executions since 1976
• 50% of homicide victims are white, yet 80% of death penalty cases involved white victims
• A study in 2002 revealed that while 12 executions involved a white offender and a black victim, 178 executions involved a black offender and a white victim
• A study done by the University of North Carolina found that the odds of receiving a death sentence increases by 3.5 times if the victim in the case was white
• The odds of receiving the death penalty increase by 38% when the offender is black

In 1998, legislation was introduced in the state of Kentucky to prevent racism from impeding on the death penalty process. This was known as the Racial Justice Act, which “prohibited the death penalty from being sought on the basis of race”. While the legislation was passed in Kentucky, it was rejected in Florida. Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Illinois, and Nebraska. This is concerning due to the fact that around 80% of executions occur in the southern region of the U.S. 

 

Abolishing the Death Penalty

Besides the racial disparities that exist within the death penalty, there are many other reasons that people wish to abolish the practice altogether. 

Criminology 

From a criminology perspective, the death penalty does not act as a sufficient deterrent of crime. Sociology studies suggest the criminals are more likely to be deterred from crime because of a certainty of punishment, rather than severity.  Less than 2% of murderers are sentenced to the death, capital punishment does not stop criminals from committing crime. In order to decrease the crime rate, police should refine their processes to ensure criminal punishment.

Wrongful executions

For every 9 inmates on death row, 1 of them will be exonerated due to their innocence.  This statistic speaks for itself. 

Cost

Despite popular belief, it costs more to carry out an execution than it does a life sentence. Due to the complexity and weight of capital punishment cases, it costs much more during trial when the death penalty is a possibility. The prosecution of death penalty cases costs U.S. taxpayers up to $90 million dollars more per year.  

 

Sustaining the Use of Capital Punishment

While the reasons to abolish the death penalty are compelling, there are still reasons why some argue that it should be continued. 

Safety

The death penalty ensures that extremely dangerous criminals will no longer threaten safety in society. Life sentences without parole typically last 15 years, though individuals can serve several life sentences on top of one another, which can accumulate to the rest of their lives in prison. Proponents of the death penalty advocate for its ability to ensure the criminal will not harm anyone ever again, which life sentences cannot guarantee. 

Justice

Another argument to continue the use of the death penalty is that it provides justice. Some in society believe that justice means equality. In the case of murder, they believe that murders should be executed. The death penalty offers that mode of justice.

 

Conclusion

The debate surrounding the use of capital punishment is nuanced, and may never come to one solution. However, recent studies are revealing the racial motivations behind capital punishment and they may have an impact on whether or not its use will be continued. Personally, the statistic describing how 1 in 9 inmates on death row are innocent sways my moral compass to oppose the death penalty altogether. Especially since wrongful convictions are still such a prevalent issue. However, some individuals in our country see justice and safety as higher priorities. Thus, the issue of capital punishment may never be agreed upon.