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Comparing The Complexities Of The Death Penalty Debate

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Osvaldo Segura-Galvan Professor Freeman Composition II 05 April 2024 Navigating the Complexities of the Death Penalty Debate The talk about the death penalty in the United States goes back as far as the country itself, mixed with ethical, legal, and social threads. At the center of debates about justice, payback, and prevention lies a very debated point: the chance of legal mistakes leading to wrong convictions. This essay goes into a detailed discussion focused on a surprising idea, suggesting that stopping the death penalty might actually lead to more wrongful convictions. By closely examining "The Paradox of Innocence" by Garret Merriam, and adding views from a wide range of scholars, this paper tries to break down the complicated talk about …show more content…

Such practices have kept up harsher penalties for alleged attackers of white victims, showing patterns of institutional racism like those before the Civil Rights era. The insights from Missouri, as shared by Lenza, Keys, and Guess, make a strong case that the procedural changes introduced by Gregg v. Georgia haven't managed to stop random and impulsive death sentences. Instead, focusing on legal procedures has missed the important stages of prosecutorial discretion and charging decisions, where biases still enter. This scholarly work highlights the need for a wider review of capital punishment laws and procedures, calling for changes that specifically deal with prosecutorial discretion and ensure fairness and justice in capital sentencing. The academic talk around the death penalty and wrongful convictions reveals deep complexities and differing views. Merriam's "The Paradox of Innocence" adds a unique perspective to this discussion, shining light on the unexpected effects of stopping capital …show more content…

Looking for solutions, it's clear that just changing legal procedures isn't enough. As Garland argues, a complete change in the justice system's approach to capital punishment is needed, one that faces the root causes of racial and social differences. This requires a serious look at prosecutorial discretion, improving the quality of legal representation for the accused, and creating ways to make sentencing decisions more transparent and accountable. Adding an international view to the talk, scholars like Hood and Hoyle (2008) compare the use of the death penalty in the United States with practices in other countries, many of which have stopped capital punishment. These comparisons further show the unique issues within the U.S. system and offer valuable ideas for other ways to handle criminal justice that focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment. In the wide and complex world of criminal justice, the debate over the death penalty in the United States is a clear sign of the ongoing struggle between the ideas of payback and the importance of

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This disparity perpetuates a cycle of poverty and injustice, as the poor are disproportionately impacted by the criminal justice system. The death penalty, imposed primarily on minorities and the poor, epitomizes the ethical failures of the criminal justice system (Equal Justice Initiative, 2023). Despite overwhelming evidence of racial and economic bias, the death penalty remains legal in many jurisdictions, wrongfully taking the lives of individuals who have been denied justice (Equal Justice Initiative, 2023). The arbitrary and discriminatory application of the death penalty undermines the fundamental value of human life and exacerbates systemic inequalities that plague the criminal justice system. In conclusion, the book raises profound ethical questions about the death penalty.

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