Death Penalty Does not Seal the Unjustice

Marylisse Hernandez

English 12 Peeiod 3

Ms. Acosta

March 5, 2021
 There has been a surreal amount of controversy whether the death penalty is morally

right. The death penalty goes far back as to the eighteeth century. The death penalty is also

pherahs the oldest form of punishment in history. Over 29 states continue to enforce the death

penalty however, this enforcement can be overturned by educating people on how court systems

are inherently flawed. Although some may say that the death penalty is necessary in the court

systems, the death penalty has many flaws due to racial biases, unfair justice for victims and their

families, and finally errors in the system which causes innocent people to lose their lives.

The main goal of the death penalty is for the people who commit such crimes are

executed. There have been many situations where blacks and whites would commit the same

crime or similar crimes but the white man never gets sentenced and this is because there are

biased people in the decision-making. Also, whites who kill blacks are less likely to be sentenced

to death than blacks killing white people. Reports have been made where 52% of the death row

inmates were black. The race of a person plays a big role when it comes to making decisions

about who is put on death row. Many statistics state that 22% of black defendants who kill white

victims are sentenced to death where only 3% of white defendants who kill black victims are

sentenced to death. Many statistics come back around to where black defendants are most likely

to be sentenced to death despite the crime, the majority of the vote is based on race. Many will

argue that it all depends on jurors but there is always favoritism even if there is 2 juror that is

from the black race and the rest are white’s there's going to be a popularity vote and with the

racism, we face today there's no choice but to give the white defendant a better consequence then

given to black defendants.

 Many states allow victim’s families the opportunity to choose to invite close friends and

relatives of the victim to watch the execution. Many may argue that it's only fair for victims'

families to get closure if the defendant is sent to death row. Studies have found that only 2.5% of

victims' families achieve closure of the defendant being sentenced to death, which is one in forty

cases, while 20.1% said that the execution did not help them get any closure. Many also find that

it's unfair that the defendant is executed with a lethal injection. Many victims go through a lot

before being murdered and it isn't fair that the defender's life just ends with a needle which in

their case is not painful at all. Most families want the defendant to suffer but no matter what it

will never be the same for the victim's families. Although many states allow the inmate to choose

what way to be executed in most cases the lethal injection is chosen because it's the easier way

out.

Finally, there have been many cases where there have been errors in the system which

causes innocent people to lose their lives. For example in 1989 Carlos Deluca was executed for

stabbing a convenience store clerk in Texas, almost 20 years later they found out that evidence

shows that a man named Carlos Hernandez actually committed the crime. Many may argue that

to be sent to death row there has to be many trials and evidence, which is not true because just

like Deluca he was sent to execution despite being innocent and it wasn't until 20 years later they

came to find out an innocent man had been killed. More cases like these pile up as years go by

with just sending someone to complete jail time we can avoid killing off innocent people because

then there is still hope for them to get and prove their innocence. Court systems just find a way

to accuse someone so that families can get peace and this is the biggest mistake going on. Until
there is real evidence to accuse someone, no one should be sent to death row or even jail without

the right amount of evidence to prove so.

In conclsuion, ambolsihing the death penalty can be a solution to many conflicts that may happen

in the justivce system. If people are informed of these situations there can be a positive ending to

racial biases, unfair justice for victims and their families, and finally errors in the system which

causes innocent people to lose their lives. There are many people who will have strong opinions

on this situation but the important thing to remember is to remember the victims but not with

more killings.
 Refrences

Center, D. P. I. (2019, June 13). State by State. Death Penalty Information Center.

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/state-and-federal-info/state-by-state

National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. (n.d.). Ncadp.Org.

https://www.ncadp.org/

Prison Fellowship. (2019, April 12). A Biblical Perspective on The Death Penalty.

https://www.prisonfellowship.org/resources/advocacy/sentencing/the-death-penalt

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4012&gclid=Cj0KCQiAyoeCBhCTARIsAOfpKxhiXZHVfOBeyws3ln4IDWl1X

LG-cpqUvIbmUryIfLV7CAnDsFUBBP8aAlQeEALw_wcB

The Death Penalty & Death Row Non-Profit. (n.d.). Fair Fight Initiative.

https://www.fairfightinitiative.org/the-death-penalty-death-row-non-profit/