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Death Penalty

Death Penalty. Katie Schofield John Grib Doug MacDonald . Introduction. “Sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence” Crimes punishable by death are called capital crimes or offences Currently 58 countries practice the death penalty. History.

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Death Penalty

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  1. Death Penalty Katie Schofield John Grib Doug MacDonald

  2. Introduction • “Sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence” • Crimes punishable by death are called capital crimes or offences • Currently 58 countries practice the death penalty

  3. History • Used in colonial America for murders and other crimes • Karla Faye Tucker: first woman to be executed in Texas • Furman vs. Georgia- 1972 ruled all capital punishment unconstitutional. Determined to be “cruel and unusual” • 1976- death penalty was reinstated as constitutional • By 2009 1,167 prisoners had been executed in the U.S.

  4. Pros • Helps deter crime • Is an appropriate punishment- serves justice • Not using death penalty risks criminals killing again • Helps control over population in prisons

  5. Cons • Religions believe all killing is wrong • Bad way to teach that killing is wrong • Biased (those sentenced to death are mostly men, minorities, and people who can’t afford a good defense team • Expensive ($2-3.5 million to execute one person) • Some argue it isn’t a significant deterrent • Possibility of executing innocent people

  6. Interest Groups • Amnesty International- working to abolish the death penalty • They believe it is a denial of human rights • Campaigns to abolish the death penalty • Focus on individual cases, supporting repeal efforts • Justice for All (prodeathpenalty.com) - pro death penalty • Exert social and legislative influence • An organization to reform the criminal justice system through private and corporate membership

  7. Evidence/ Statistics • Pro

  8. Evidence/ Statistics • Con • Costs • The California death penalty system costs taxpayers $114 million per year beyond the costs of keeping convicts locked up for life. Taxpayers have paid more than $250 million for each of the state’s executions. (L.A. Times, March 6, 2005) • In Kansas, the costs of capital cases are 70% more expensive than comparable non-capital cases, including the costs of incarceration. (Kansas Performance Audit Report, December 2003). • In Maryland, an average death penalty case resulting in a death sentence costs approximately $3 million. The eventual costs to Maryland taxpayers for cases pursued 1978-1999 will be $186 million. Five executions have resulted. (Urban Institute 2008).

  9. Evidence/ Statistics

  10. Evidence/ Statistics • • A comprehensive study of the death penalty in North Carolina found that the odds of receiving a death sentence rose by 3.5 times among those defendants whose victims were white. (Prof. Jack Boger and Dr. Isaac Unah, University of North Carolina, 2001). • • A study in California found that those who killed whites were over 3 times more likely to be sentenced to death than those who killed blacks and over 4 times more likely than those who killed Latinos. (Pierce & Radelet, Santa Clara Law Review 2005).

  11. Evidence/ Statistics

  12. Evidence/ Statistics

  13. Recent Developments • Death sentences are at their lowest rates since 1976 • Illinois signed an abolition bill of the death penalty in 2011 • It looks like Connecticut will be the next state to abolish the death penalty • Current Governor Dannel Malloy said he would sign a death penalty bill if passed by the House and Senate. • North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue vetoed a bill that would essentiall repeal a former bill that gave death row inmates a new way to argue that their skin color influenced their sentences

  14. Bibliography • White, Deborah. "Pros & Cons of the Death Penalty and Capital Punishment." Liberal & Progressive Politics & Perspectives. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. <http://usliberals.about.com/od/deathpenalty/i/DeathPenalty.htm>. • "Death Penalty." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 1 May 1998. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. <http://www.2facts.com/article/i0300920>. • "Abolish the Death Penalty | Amnesty International USA." Amnesty International USA | Protect Human Rights. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. <http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/campaigns/abolish-the-death-penalty?id=1011005>. • Justice For All - A Criminal Justice Reform Organization. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. <http://www.jfa.net/index.html>.

  15. Bibliography • Baynes, Terry. "Study Finds Death Penalty Use in Decline| Reuters." Business & Financial News, Breaking US & International News | Reuters.com. 15 Dec. 2011. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. <http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/15/us-study-finds-death-penalty-idUSTRE7BE29M20111215>. • "Executing Prisoners From a Financial Viewpoint « Stew!" Stew! Web. 16 Dec. 2011. <http://bradnehring.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/executing-prisoners-from-a-financial-viewpoint/>. • "What We Sacrifice on Death Row - SFGate." Featured Articles From The SFGate. 30 June 2008. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. <http://articles.sfgate.com/2008-06-30/opinion/17164745_1_death-penalty-penalty-system-executions>.

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