Editor’s Note: The following article is an opinion piece that reflects the views of the author.
Death row is where individuals convicted of major offenses and sentenced to death are held as they await their upcoming execution. This idea has existed for centuries, originating in ancient societies where individuals were punished for whatever reasons those in charge saw fit. Today there is much debate about the morality behind death row, and there are valid arguments on both sides, which is why I believe that it is not a case of abolishing it completely or leaving it the same but rather changing the system to learn from past mistakes.
People in favor of the death penalty argue that it plays a crucial role in ensuring justice and public safety. They think it serves as a strong deterrent, dissuading possible offenders from committing terrible crimes due to the fear of experiencing the highest penalty. Those in favor of the death penalty believe it offers a rightful punishment that brings closure and justice to victims’ families by ensuring the most severe offenders are appropriately punished. They also argue that the death penalty permanently eliminates harmful individuals from society, stopping them from causing more harm.
Opponents of the death penalty argue that it is an inherently flawed and unjust form of punishment. One of their primary concerns is the risk of wrongful convictions, which can lead to the execution of innocent people. Many studies suggest that the death penalty does not effectively deter crime more than other forms of punishment. For example, a study brought up that states with the death penalty experience more crime than states without the penalty. They use this study to “prove” that doubling down on punishment does not stop crime. They believe that taking a life, even of a criminal, is inhumane and diminishes society’s respect for human life. They also argue that the death penalty is often applied unevenly, that there’s so much bias in the system that it’s no longer just or fair. They think most criminals should have the chance of rehabilitation, believing that even those who commit severe crimes should have the opportunity for redemption.
Death Penalty and Crime Rates: Correlation or Causation?
As of 2024, 27 U.S. states still have the death penalty, while 23 have abolished it. Interestingly, states with the death penalty tend to have higher violent crime rates. In 2021, for example, death-penalty states had an average murder rate of 5.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.4 in non-death-penalty states. These numbers are often used to argue that harsher punishments don’t actually deter crime.
However, correlation doesn’t always mean causation. Higher crime rates in death-penalty states could be influenced by other factors, such as poverty, education levels or law enforcement practices. It’s possible these states rely on the death penalty not because it works but because their social systems struggle to address the root causes of crime.
My Take
In my opinion, the death penalty shouldn’t be abolished but should have stricter policies to avoid the problems mentioned in the con argument. There are many problems involved in the system of death row, especially wrongful convictions of minorities, such as the one of George Stinney Jr., a 14-year-old African American boy who was wrongfully convicted and executed in 1944 in South Carolina. George was accused of killing two white girls, Betty June Binnicker, age 11, and Mary Emma Thames, age 7. He was able to be questioned by police without his parents and confessed under duress. His trial lasted one day before he was executed wrongfully without real evidence. And even though this argument is a good reason to get rid of death penalty all together, there’s still critiques for the abolition arguments such as “potential of rehabilitation.” Most of the crimes committed by people put on death row are rape, murder and genocide. These people should not get the chance to try and reintegrate into society. On the other hand, there have been many stories about people committing crimes such as murder (which under different circumstances would be wrong) as a form of self-defense against abusers. In cases such as these if the person does time, they could very well rejoin society. What we need is a reformed justice system.
