Dear Activist,

The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, is the execution of an offender who is on death row by trial. Since 1976, 1,491 people have been executed in the United States by means of the death penalty. With the recent execution of Brandon Bernard, the movement in abolishing capital punishment has heightened.

Because international law does not prohibit the death penalty, roughly 70% of countries have abolished it. Several countries view capital punishment as a human rights violation and look down on the United States’ methods of execution. Currently, 28 states have capital punishment while 22 do not, meaning the death penalty continues to be legal in more than half of the United States.

There have been 1,349 executions by lethal injection, making it the most widely-used method of execution. Hanging, the gas chamber, and firing squad are other methods of execution. States still allow electrocutions, however, which account for 163 deaths since 1976. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Georgia and Nebraska claim the use of the electric chair to violate “their state constitutional prohibitions against cruel and unusual punishment.”

The Expenses of the Death Penalty

One of the leading arguments in authorizing capital punishment is how it is less expensive than a life sentence. The Death Penalty Information Center notes that the assumption that “the state saves money by employing the death penalty since an executed person no longer requires confinement, health care, and related expenses” is not true. The death penalty introduces a variety of expenses that cause life sentences to be the cheaper option.

Longer trials, the need for representation, unbiased jurors, and security contribute to the high expenses when dealing with capital punishment cases. Most people who face the death penalty are incapable of affording their own attorney. Assigning representation and paying for the costs of the prosecution are the responsibilities of the state. Additionally, it is necessary to have experts on forensic evidence, mental health, and the history of the defendant. As trials must have neutral jurors, they need to go through a thorough questioning process, which accounts for more expenses.

Capital punishment trials, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, last “more than four times longer than non-capital trials, requiring juror and attorney compensation”. Because prisoners on death row live in solitary confinement, those conditions require security at all times.

Arguments For and Against Capital Punishment

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) claims that the death penalty system in the United States is unfair and unjust. The ACLU states that the system depends on “how much money [the defendants] have, the skill of their attorneys, race of the victim and where the crime took place.”

While people insist that capital punishment is the appropriate penalty for criminals, innocent people are sentenced to death frequently. Over 156 people have been released from death rows in 26 states because of innocence since 1973. “Nationally, at least one person is exonerated for every 10 that are executed,” the ACLU asserts.

A degree of racial injustice also bleeds into the United States’ justice system. With approximately 40% of the people on death row being black citizens, there are clear inequalities as that is nearly three times the general population. Additionally, people with mental illnesses account for 10% of those executed since 1977. The American Psychiatric Association and the American Bar Association are some of the groups who demand a ban on the death penalty for those with critical mental illnesses.

People who support capital punishment insist that it provides victims with a level of closure, which helps their suffering; however, the counter argument states that executions do not end the victims’ pain and prolongs their agony through the extensive sentencing process. Rather than instituting the death penalty, some suggest that the costs for the trials be redirected to counseling and other forms of assistance.

Another argument in favor of the death penalty is that it is said to prevent criminals from committing serious crimes. While it does logically discourage people from committing offenses, there is not enough evidence proving that the states with the death penalty have lower crime rates than those without it.

The Story of Pervis Payne

Pervis Payne, suffering from a mental illness, is being prosecuted for a crime he claims not to have committed. While waiting for his girlfriend to return to her apartment in Millington, Tennessee, Payne discovered attacks against her neighbor. In an effort to help the neighbor, Payne was mistaken for the attacker and arrested. The following February, he was convicted of murder and put on a death sentence. That was 30 years ago, and he is still on death row, according to the Innocence Project.

Throughout his 33 years in prison, Payne insists that he was an “innocent bystander who happened upon the crime scene and tried to help.” The evidence in Payne’s case has not been tested for DNA, which could prove his innocence. The Innocence Project claims that the testing could be completed in only 60 days.

Amy Weirich, the Shelby County District Attorney, is opposing DNA testing in Payne’s case. Although there is adequate evidence that could prove Payne’s innocence, Weirich continues to be against the testing. The Innocence Project states that “her argument against DNA testing is based on a 2006 decision that was overruled by the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2011.”

Activate Change

There are several flaws within capital punishment, which result in several injustices surfacing nationally. The fate of innocent people, who our justice system wronged, lies in our hands. We must continue to demand change, especially when our own systems are the causes of oppression against others. As citizens are behind bars, we must be their voices outside of those prison walls and work towards giving them secure futures.

• Sign this petition to fight for justice alongside Pervis Payne through the Innocence Project.
• Donate to the Fair Fight Initiative, who works to end mass incarceration.
• Join Amnesty International’s movement to protect human rights by donating here.
• Research the laws in your state regarding capital punishment and see how you can get involved.
• Spread awareness through social media or by using your voice in your community or school.
• Write to your elected officials to push for fairness in your country’s justice system.
• Read this legal petition that demands DNA testing of evidence in Payne’s case.

I can only give you the resources to activate change, but it is up to you to improve society yourself. You can change the world from the comfort of your home, but you must work hard to do so. It is not too late to right our wrongs and work towards global equality and justice. You are reading this article for a reason, so all I ask of you is to use this piece as a starting point to fix the world.

Cordially,

Nika Tarkian