Who will be number 1000?
Posted by R. Neal
Governors around the U.S. are scrambling to avoid the dubious distinction of having their state host the 1000th execution since the Supreme Court lifted the death penalty ban in 1976.
Virginia Gov. Mark Warner commuted the sentence of a death row inmate to life in prison earlier this week. Robin Lovitt would have been the 1000th person to be executed in the U.S. since the Supreme Court lifted the ban.
In California, the state Supreme Court denied a motion to reopen the case of Crips gang founder Tookie Williams, clearing the way for his execution. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is scheduled to meet next week with lawyers from both sides in the case to discuss clemency.
Now the ball is in North Carolina's court. Kenneth Lee Boyd is scheduled for execution Friday morning at 2:00 AM for the killing of his wife and father-in-law, making him number 1000. Opponents of the death penalty are descending on Raleigh to protest the execution. The article notes that Gov. Mike Easley's support of the death penalty conflicts with his Roman Catholic beliefs.
The death penalty is a uniquely Southern tradition. More than 80% of all executions since 1976 have occurred in the South, with nearly half in Texas alone. Oklahoma tops the list of executions per state capita, but ten Southern states are among the top twenty, including Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, South Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, and Mississippi, in that order.
In sheer numbers, Texas tops the list with 355, followed by Virginia with 94. Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Louisiana are included in the top ten.
The South accounts for over 80% of the executions, but has the highest murder rates. The Northeast accounts for only 1% of executions, and has the lowest murder rates. Police chiefs rank reducing drug abuse and better economic conditions as the top two ways to reduce violent crime. The death penalty is ranked dead last. Here are some other interesting facts about the death penalty (PDF format).
Governors around the U.S. are scrambling to avoid the dubious distinction of having their state host the 1000th execution since the Supreme Court lifted the death penalty ban in 1976.
Virginia Gov. Mark Warner commuted the sentence of a death row inmate to life in prison earlier this week. Robin Lovitt would have been the 1000th person to be executed in the U.S. since the Supreme Court lifted the ban.
In California, the state Supreme Court denied a motion to reopen the case of Crips gang founder Tookie Williams, clearing the way for his execution. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is scheduled to meet next week with lawyers from both sides in the case to discuss clemency.
Now the ball is in North Carolina's court. Kenneth Lee Boyd is scheduled for execution Friday morning at 2:00 AM for the killing of his wife and father-in-law, making him number 1000. Opponents of the death penalty are descending on Raleigh to protest the execution. The article notes that Gov. Mike Easley's support of the death penalty conflicts with his Roman Catholic beliefs.
The death penalty is a uniquely Southern tradition. More than 80% of all executions since 1976 have occurred in the South, with nearly half in Texas alone. Oklahoma tops the list of executions per state capita, but ten Southern states are among the top twenty, including Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, South Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, and Mississippi, in that order.
In sheer numbers, Texas tops the list with 355, followed by Virginia with 94. Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Louisiana are included in the top ten.
The South accounts for over 80% of the executions, but has the highest murder rates. The Northeast accounts for only 1% of executions, and has the lowest murder rates. Police chiefs rank reducing drug abuse and better economic conditions as the top two ways to reduce violent crime. The death penalty is ranked dead last. Here are some other interesting facts about the death penalty (PDF format).
3 Comments:
I have long opposed the death penalty though not for the touchy feely reasons most do. I oppose it merely because it is disproportionately applied to poor minorities.
That said, why do they schedule executions at such inconvenient times? 2 in the morning? What's up with that? That scheduling seems like an awfully rude thing to do to someone who is about to die.
-SayUncle
Almost every day you hear about some new creep that probably deserves the death penalty. And if the families of his victims were to somehow accidentally get locked in a room with him and something really bad happened to him I wouldn't lose much sleep over it, or even be too upset if the authorities didn't pursue it.
But, it is not society's duty to exact revenge, which is all the death penalty is. It certainly isn't a deterrent. Except maybe for the one guy.
In addition the problems you cite, there are too many innocent people being exhonorated by new evidence such as DNA.
And unless each individual one of us is willing to personally pull the lever with absolute certainty of guilt, we as a society shouldn't allow it. It is brutal and unjust and cheapens all of us.
And I have no idea why these things are done in the middle of the night. Maybe they think nobody will notice?
But, it is not society's duty to exact revenge
Under this logic, why even put anybody in jail? If you look at recidivism, crime rates, etc. no jail/prison sentence seems to be much of a deterrent. And, what's the difference between punishment and revenge? Is there any? Prison and the death sentence is supposed to be punishment not revenge.
Of course, not putting so many people in jail may work. According to Amenesty International, the U.S. had the highest proportion of its popultation of any country in history. I find this a little hard to believe when compared to Stalinist Russia (of course they just killed everybody which kept prison numbers down), but it does show what a failure our law enforcement, judicial and correctional system is.
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