With the conviction of the Boston Bomber and the jury’s decision that he should receive the death penalty, once again, people are debating whether we should execute criminals or not.
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Should we still use the death penalty anywhere in the US?
Even the family of one of the Boston Bomber’s victims, an 8 year old boy, asked that the death penalty not be used. Usually, the conservative elements in American support the death penalty. Here’s an interesting argument against the death penalty from a famous conservative, columnist George Will. http://www.startribune.com/watch-the-death-penalty-wither-away/304492391/
After working almost 40 years in the criminal justice system, I agree (Minnesota doesn’t have a death penalty) with George Will because:
1. It represents government intrusion into our lives (I hadn’t thought about this) that conservatives don’t like.
2. The death penalty can’t be reversed. We all know how government can screw-up things, plus our justice system is not perfect. Think of how horrible you’d feel if you were innocent but had been wrongly convicted—and now faced the death penalty.
3. The death penalty isn’t a deterrent to crime. George Will’s point is that after years of appeals, when the execution finally occurs, it’s too late to deter anyone. I’d add that, from my years working with criminals, the penalty is seldom a deterrent to many crimes.
Why? Most violent crimes are committed under the influence of alcohol and/or are crimes of passion—drunk man gets furious with wife and kills her. In none of these instances do the criminals consider the possible penalty.
4. But what about horrible crimes like the Boston Bomber where he and his brother planned this for weeks? Wouldn’t the death penalty deter these types of crimes? No. Because these kinds of criminals either think they’re too smart to get caught or they don’t care if they’re caught and executed.
5. What about the victims? I worked with many victims when I was a prosecutor. Of course, they want justice—but that can take many forms. Some would like the death penalty and some want to forgive the criminals. The problem with the death penalty is that it takes so long to carry out that the benefits of swift punishment and justice are lost. Consequently, victims must re-live the events for years, waiting for closure.
What do you think? I know many of you have strong opinions—what are they???
