Alexis Rinere – Staff Writer

arr5887@psu.edu

The death penalty dates back to the Fifth Century. Death sentences were carried out through crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, and impalement. In the Tenth Century, hanging became the most common method of execution in Britain. In the next century, it was no longer allowed for hanging to be used as a form of punishment unless used in times of war. In the Sixteenth Century, under Henry VIII, more than 70,000 people are thought to have been executed. At the time the most common methods of execution were boiling, burning at the stake, hanging, beheading, and drawing and quartering. Executions were usually carried out for capital offenses. Britain was the biggest influence on America in terms of the death penalty. When European settlers came to America they brought capital punishment with them. The first execution recorded was Captain George Kendall in the Jamestown colony of Virginia in 1608. He was executed after being found guilty as a spy for Spain. 

        Today, 27 states still allow the death penalty. Currently, California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania have declared a moratorium on executions. Meaning, the executions for those on death row have been put on hold. Pennsylvania has been carrying out executions since the early 1600s, first beginning in the form of public hangings. Pennsylvania became the first state in 1834 to outlaw public executions and move them to county prisons. In 1913 PA’s capital punishment was changed to bring executions under the administration of the state instead of the individual counties. The method of execution was also changed to electrocution. Between the years 1915 and 1962 Pennsylvania conducted 350 executions. The last prisoner executed by an electric chair was Elmo Smith in 1962. The state then passed a law in 1990 saying that we would no longer execute through electrocution but instead lethal injection. Pennsylvania had the third-highest number of executions of any state, conducting 1,040 executions. Pennsylvania has not executed anyone since 1999, though as of 2018, 22 men sit on death row.

        The death penalty violates the right to life; the most basic human right. It also violates the right to not be subject to torture and other inhumane punishment. The death penalty has not been proven to improve public safety. The Death Penalty Information Center indicates that in the past forty years there have been 1,184 executions completed in the South and four in the Northeast. Homicide numbers in 2015 were almost 70 percent higher in Southern states, even though their capital punishment numbers were much higher. Many victims of these crimes oppose the death penalty and feel that they are being undermined when the criminal is still sentenced to the death penalty. Instead of focusing on capital punishment, we should spend our time and resources focusing on the victims. Studies show that services for African American victims are vastly limited, we should be using our resources to correct this. 

        Capital punishment fails to address the root cause of the crimes. The justice system should be more concerned with preventing crime and violence than putting criminals on death row. We cannot stop these crimes and violence without getting to the root of the crime. It is apparent that criminals do not think about the consequences of their crimes – otherwise, they would not commit the crimes in the first place. Racial inequality is one of the largest problems in the justice system. Police shootings and killings of unarmed people of color have skyrocketed in the last few decades. The death penalty is not applied fairly across the country and those being sentenced to death are not dependent on the crime they committed but instead on where it was committed. Those who reside in the South are more likely to receive capital punishment than those in other parts of the country. The South is well known for being unable to provide public defenders for those who cannot afford one, although this is required by the constitution. As a result of this, many are sentenced to death row. 

        According to a survey in April 2021 six-in-ten adults favor the death penalty for convicted murderers. Over half of adults in the U.S. reported that they are concerned about the fairness of the death penalty and whether or not it serves as a deterrent against crime. The death penalty controversy varies based on political party, education, and race, as well as other factors. Republicans tend to favor the penalty while most Democrats are in favor of abolishing it. When polling, support for the death penalty is considerably higher in online polls versus phone call polls. While the majority of states have the death penalty, most rarely utilize it. In recent decades the use of the death penalty has decreased significantly. In 1984, the average time spent on death row was 6 years before being executed. This has increased vastly as of 2019. The average waiting time was recorded at 22 years. 

        The death penalty is irreversible and the justice system is imperfect. If mistakes are made, capital punishment cannot be undone. We must abolish the death penalty. A survey showed that since 1973 over 184 prisoners sentenced to death row have been later released after their innocence was proven. 184 people were almost killed for a crime they did not commit. To help end capital punishment you can sign a petition to Congress, send a message to President Biden requesting them to demolish the Death Chamber, encourage the Attorney General to not seek new death sentences, and push all United States Federal Branches of Government to make strides in ending the death penalty.