Why End the Death Penalty?
Every year from June 29 to July 2 The Abolition Action Committee gathers on the steps of the Supreme Court Building to draw attention to abolishing the death penalty. Anti death penalty activists discuss the reasons to end the death penalty such as:
Innocence: Over 140 wrongly convicted persons have been released from death row since 1972, and were all considered to have received a fair trial.
Wrongful Executions: Despite Supreme Court Justice Scalia's claim that no one has been wrongly executed, serious doubt has been raised regarding several cases amid errors exposed by investigative journalists. In 2011, the case of Troy Davis brought worldwide attention to the possible execution of an innocent.
Cost: It costs 2 to 6 times as much to kill one person than to incarcerate for life.
Public Opinion: Several recent surveys have consistently shown that when offered the alternative of life without parole, plus restitution for the victim's family, support for the death penalty drops below 50%.
Racism:When the race of the victim is WHITE, the perpetrator of the crime is 4 to 11 times MORE likely to receive the death penalty. Use of the death penalty is uneven, as Illinois has banned the death penalty.
No Difference: Most death penalty proponents agree that executions do not deter others from committing murder.
A Politician's Tool: Politicians often brag that they are tough on crime because they support the death penalty, as an effective sound bite. Rather tax dollars should be used to prevent crime instead after the fact.
Innocence: Over 140 wrongly convicted persons have been released from death row since 1972, and were all considered to have received a fair trial.
Wrongful Executions: Despite Supreme Court Justice Scalia's claim that no one has been wrongly executed, serious doubt has been raised regarding several cases amid errors exposed by investigative journalists. In 2011, the case of Troy Davis brought worldwide attention to the possible execution of an innocent.
Cost: It costs 2 to 6 times as much to kill one person than to incarcerate for life.
Public Opinion: Several recent surveys have consistently shown that when offered the alternative of life without parole, plus restitution for the victim's family, support for the death penalty drops below 50%.
Racism:When the race of the victim is WHITE, the perpetrator of the crime is 4 to 11 times MORE likely to receive the death penalty. Use of the death penalty is uneven, as Illinois has banned the death penalty.
No Difference: Most death penalty proponents agree that executions do not deter others from committing murder.
A Politician's Tool: Politicians often brag that they are tough on crime because they support the death penalty, as an effective sound bite. Rather tax dollars should be used to prevent crime instead after the fact.