Abolishing the Death Penalty in the US
Cecil Walker
Background
• Very heated debate
• Has roots in the colonial times and continued to grow
• Furman v. Georgia suspended the penalty
• Was circumvented only a few months later
Why Abolish the Death Penalty?
Costs more than life imprisonment
Does NOT deter crime
Unfairly Applied
Costs• Death penalty costs
average around 1 million to 3 million per case
• Average cost for life in prison: $500, 000
• Money saved could be put to better use
=
Crime Deterrent?• Doesn’t work because:• Not consistently and
promptly employed• Criminals do not consider
the punishment before they act
• Life imprisonment is severe enough for a rational person
Unfairness• Decision for
death is arbitrary in many cases
• Racially bias• Also biased
against the poor, uneducated, and friendless
The Death Penalty is Irreversible!
Groups Against the Death Penalty
The Last One
Isn’t Time to Abolish the Death Penalty?
Works CitedBedeau, Hugo. "The Case Against the Death Penalty." American Civil Liberties Union. American Civil Liberties Union, 2011. Web. 21 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.aclu.org/capital-punishment/case-against-death-penalty>"Facts & Figures." NCADP - The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Web. 21 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.ncadp.org/index.cfm?content=5>.Lowe, Wesley. Pro Death Penalty Webpage. Wesley Lowe, 17 Jan. 2011. Web. 21 Oct. 2011. <http://wesleylowe.com/cp.html>.Oliveira, Nancy. "What We Sacrifice on Death Row." San Francisco Chronicle. 30 June 2008. Web. 31 Oct. 2011. <http://www.deathpenalty.org/downloads/Nancy%20Oliveir a%20SF%20Chron%20June%2030.2008%20What%20we%20sacrifice%20on %20Death%20Row.pdf>. Photograph. Andrew James. Andrew James, 11 Oct. 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011.
<http://cllrandrewjames.wordpress.com/2011/11/10/mps-demand-death-penalty- debate/>. Photograph. Biz & Legis. 28 May 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011.
<http://legalservices.bizandlegis.com/2011/05/golden-amnesty/>. Photograph. Campus-Community Coalition. Central Washington University. Web. 21 Nov.
2011. <http://www.cwu.edu/~ccc/noteworthy_news.html>. Photograph. CasablancaPA. Awesome Inc., 22 May 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://casablancapa.blogspot.com/2010/05/corbett-admits-he-wanted-jail-time- for.html>.
Photograph. Crime Stoppers. Crime Stoppers of Wichita/Sedgwick County, KS, Inc. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://wichitasedgwickcountycrimestoppers.com/>. Photograph. Digital Trends. Digital Trends, 10 Jan. 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://cllrandrewjames.wordpress.com/2011/11/10/mps-demand- death-penalty-debate/>. Photograph. Dome on the Range. 24 Oct. 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.domeontherange.net/>. Photograph. EagleiOnline. EagleiOnline, 2 Dec. 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://eagleionline.com/2010/12/02/u-k-europe-ponder-ban-on- lethal-injection-chemicals/>. Photograph. I Am a Diva Nerd. I Am a Diva Nerd, 21 Sept. 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://rachycakes.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/arguing- against-the-death-penalty/>. Photograph. KMH Kreations. KMH Kreations, 2 Sept. 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.kmhkreations.net/2011/09/02/how-to-add-a-dollar- sign-to-prices-in-the-rsform-pro-paypal-plug-in/#.TsrTRXOoeXd>. Photograph. Layoutsparks.com. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.layoutsparks.com/1/90717/handcuffs-prison-capture-image.html>. Photograph. MadMikeAmerica. MadMikeAmerica. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://madmikesamerica.com/2011/09/davis-execution/>. Photograph. Mingle City. MingleCity, 28 Jan. 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://minglecity.com/group/clubprimetime504/forum/topics/the-death- penalty-are-you-for>.
Photograph. Obtuse Observer. 16 Feb. 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://obtuseobserver.com/?p=1914>. Photograph. P.A.P.-Blog Human Rights Etc. 19 Oct. 2008. Web. 21 Nov.
2011. <http://filipspagnoli.wordpress.com/2008/10/19/human-rights-maps-21-death-penalty-laws/>. Photograph. Pico Station. Picostation.com, 18 Oct. 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.picostation.com/>. Photograph. The Blunt Blogger. The Beauty Blogger, 21 Sept. 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://beauty.thebluntblogger.com/48823/death-penalty-for-teresa-lewis>. Photograph. The Inquisitr. Inquisitr Ltd., 17 Sept. 2009. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.inquisitr.com/38030/dopey-burglar-logs-onto-facebook-while-burgling/>. Photograph. University Chic. UniversityChic, 22 May 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://universitychic.com/article/five-ways- save-money-college>.
Top Related