Introduction
Since the country’s founding, the death penalty, commonly known as capital punishment, has been a component of its legal system. It has been used in various ways, with significant differences through time and between states. There has been continual discussion about the use and execution of the death sentence, which has raised ethical, legal, and social issues.
Discrimination in its use and the particular instance of juvenile death punishment are two crucial concerns relating to the death penalty that have drawn attention. These issues raise fundamental issues with justice, fairness, and human rights. To shed light on the intricate dynamics at play, this study will examine these features while consulting scholarly sources.
Discrimination and the Death Penalty
The use of the death sentence has consistently raised concerns about discrimination. Hoyle (2019) draws attention to how factors including ethnicity, religion, and citizenship status can lead to discrimination when the death penalty is applied. Different rates of victimization, criminalization, and punishment are one manifestation of this inequality.
Race, religion, and citizenship status are not only demographic characteristics; they have a significant impact on how the death penalty is applied. Hoyle (2019) emphasizes how these traits might interact to produce a disadvantage bigger than the sum of their parts. The various ways in which this intersectionality approach reveals discrimination within the criminal justice system.
The Juvenile Death Penalty
When someone is sentenced to death for a crime they committed while under the age of 18, this is referred to as the juvenile death penalty. Significant legal advancements have resulted from the tremendous discussion and attention surrounding this practice (Kappeler & Potter, 2017). The death sentence for juveniles is being phased out in the United States. This change reflects a growing understanding of the unique developmental needs of young people and the necessity of treating them differently from adult offenders. The abolishment recognizes the possibility of rehabilitation and complies with international human rights standards.
Crime Rate in the United States
With a wide range of crimes and historical tendencies, the crime rate in the United States is a complex problem. Understanding the crime rate is crucial for enlightened conversations concerning criminal justice practices, including the death penalty (Liao, 2021). The application of the death penalty and crime rates have a complicated relationship. For the purpose of deterring crime, appeals for stricter punishments, such as the death sentence, can result in high crime rates.
The usefulness of the death penalty as a deterrent, however, is still up for discussion and investigation. Furthermore, it is essential to consider how crime rates influence people’s perceptions of the death penalty and the ensuing political debate (Liao, 2021). Given that socioeconomic factors influence both crime rates and the use of the death sentence, it is equally crucial to take these influences into account.
Conclusion
The interplay of race, religion, and citizenship status, the juvenile death penalty, and the connection between crime rates and the execution of death row inmates have all been highlighted in this paper’s examination of issues of discrimination and the death penalty in the United States. It is essential to give considerable thought to and have a sophisticated grasp of the issues of prejudice, the death sentence, and crime rates in the US. Ongoing study and informed policy-making are essential to ensure that justice, fairness, and human dignity are upheld in the criminal justice system. It is essential to keep investigating these problems from an intersectional perspective, considering the connections between various types of adversity and prejudice.
References
Hoyle, C. (2019). Capital punishment at the intersections of discrimination and disadvantage: the plight of foreign nationals. In Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks. Web.
Kappeler, V. E., & Potter, G. W. (2017). The mythology of crime and Criminal Justice.
Liao, Y.-W. (2021). The Strategy of Treatment for Drug Users in Taiwan – Based upon the Patient-Centered Concept. International Journal of Business and Social Science. Web.