Most nations, including almost all developed countries, have abolished capital punishment either in law or in practice with noteworthy exceptions being the U.S., Japan, Taiwan and Singapore, as well as China, India, and most Islamic states.
And in the U.S., President Donald Trump seems to be tightening restrictions.
“If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington, D.C., we’re going to be seeking the death penalty,” the 47th president said in a recent cabinet meeting.
The president’s latest move clearly aligns with his ongoing plan to crack down on crime at the federal level. But once again, it negates the wishes of D.C. voters and its elected officials. The District of Columbia hasn’t executed anyone since 1957 and in 1981, the D.C. Council abolished the death penalty.
Does the president have access to recent data or know something vitally significant of which Washingtonians are unaware or is this simply another way to bemuse and confuse Americans?
The Brennan Center for Justice, in its reviews of the cases of those on death row, highlights deep concerns about racial disparities, the fairness of the process, and the inhumanity of the punishment.
First, the federal death penalty is unevenly applied with factors like geography, race, and legal representation influencing who receives death sentences as much as the underlying crimes. The death penalty has long come under scrutiny for being racially biased. For example, in the 20th century when it was applied for the crime of rape, 89% of the executions involved Black defendants, most for the rape of a white woman.
Second, even though supposedly protected, people with severe intellectual disabilities and mental illness remain at risk of federal execution.
Third, pentobarbital, the drug used for lethal injections in federal executions, is inhumane.
Finally, the federal death penalty review process does not sufficiently protect against miscarriages of justice. Fact: Since 1973, at least 200 people sentenced to death nationwide have been exonerated.
D.C. voters had it right in abolishing the death penalty – to execute someone because they’ve taken someone’s life is not about securing justice, but revenge.
The question, however, remains: Has America become a country that supports policies based on revenge rather than those that ensure justice for all?