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Social Science

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Our Lady of the Lake University

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SOWK 6321

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Death penalty, US

Commonly referred to as capital punishment, the death penalty is a legal punishment exercised

by 28 states in the US. Murder, treason, espionage, large-scale drug trafficking, or the attempted

murders of a witness are some of the crimes punishable by capital punishment

. The sentence's

adoption aimed at deterring crimes but has continuously been abused, resulting in its unfair

imposition to criminals based on race.

Recent statistics

The current population of African Americans under the death is 1062, representing

41.60%, while 1076 whites represent 42.15%

. Despite being fewer than blacks, their number

relative to population is high, which shows that the death penalty is likely to be imposed on

African Americans compared to whites. The percentage of African Americans executed since

1984 is 519 compared to 855 whites during the same period

. Even after being found guilty,

more whites than African Americans have been lucky to be removed from capital punishment.

Adler, J. S. (2015). Less crime, more punishment: Violence, race, and criminal justice in early

twentieth-century America. The Journal of American History, 102(1), 34-46.

E NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (2020). DEATH ROW U.S.A. Fall

2020. https://www.naacpldf.org/wp-content/uploads/DRUSAFall2020.pdf

E NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (2020). DEATH ROW U.S.A. Fall

2020. https://www.naacpldf.org/wp-content/uploads/DRUSAFall2020.pdf

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For example, by 2018, 59.3% of whites admitted to capital punishment were removed, while

only 38.9% of African Americans admitted to capital punishment were removed

The extent of the problem can be seen when it comes to interracial murders. For example,

only 21 white defendants have been punished through capital punishment where the victim was

black, while 297 African Americans have been punished by murder where the victim was white

Through such statistics, it is evident that capital punishment is imposed unfairly on defendants.

Race plays a role in determining whether it will be imposed or not on a victim.

Historical background and recent changes

Discrimination based on race has been one of the social problems that ever plagued the

United States of America. The development of the current social problem can be pegged on it.

Discrimination based on race denied African Americans opportunities to acquire education,

leading most of them to turn to violent crime to support their families

. Inequality in such

opportunities meant that more whites were involved in the criminal justice systems compared to

blacks. It is for that matter that more African Americans were discriminated resulting in capital

punishment in most cases. Recently, police brutality towards African Americans has been on the

Davis, E., & Snell, T. L. (2018). Capital Punishment, 2016. Stafisfical Brief.

E NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (2020). DEATH ROW U.S.A. Fall

2020. https://www.naacpldf.org/wp-content/uploads/DRUSAFall2020.pdf

Adler, J. S. (2015). Less crime, more punishment: Violence, race, and criminal justice in early

twentieth-century America. The Journal of American History, 102(1), 34-46.

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1 Death penalty, US Commonly referred to as capital punishment, the death penalty is a legal punishment exercised by 28 states in the US. Murder, treason, espionage, large-scale drug trafficking, or the attempted murders of a witness are some of the crimes punishable by capital punishment1. The sentence's adoption aimed at deterring crimes but has continuously been abused, resulting in its unfair imposition to criminals based on race. Recent statistics The current population of African Americans under the death is 1062, representing 41.60%, while 1076 whites represent 42.15%2. Despite being fewer than blacks, their number relative to population is high, which shows that the death penalty is likely to be imposed on African Americans compared to whites. The percentage of African Americans executed since 1984 is 519 compared to 855 whites during the same period3. Even after being found guilty, more whites than African Americans have been lucky to be removed from capital punishment. 1 Adler, J. S. (2015). Less crime, more punishment: Violence, race, and criminal justice in early twentieth-century America. The Journal of American History, 102(1), 34-46. 2 E NAACP Legal Defense and E ...
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