Decline in the death penalty

The death penalty continues to decline in the United States. The Death Penalty Information Center released a year-end analysis stating that the number of death sentences carried out across the United States reached history contemporary lows, with only twenty inmates being executed in 2016. This is the lowest number of executions in the United States since 1991, when only fourteen inmates were executed. Every year since 1991, there have been at least twenty-eight inmates executed, until 2016. This trend away from the death penalty comes across as great news for opponents of the death penalty.  Diann Rust-Tierney, executive director of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, stated these this data is“consistent with what we’ve been seeing—steady momentum away from the death penalty, an increasing number of people opposing it and a declining number who are expressing support for it.” and that “We are moving in the direction of the rest of the world” in regards to the death penalty. The United States is part of a handful of nations in the world who still legally allow the death penalty, and actively carry out capital punishment. However, despite this, there were still some setbacks for those opposed to the death penalty. Despite the number of Americans who support the death penalty dropping from 80% in 1996 to 60% in 2016, in some states referendums that approve the death penalty and even restore the use of death penalties passed. In California, a proposal to end the death penalty was rejected by voters, who then passed a measure to expedite the process of capital punishment. Karen Clifton, executive director of the Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Death Penalty has stated that twelve out of the twenty people executed, and eleven that were sentenced to death, displayed evidence of mental health issues. Although the Supreme Court ruled in Atkins v. Virginia that the execution of those diagnosed with mental retardation is unconstitutional, “yet those affected by severe mental illness can still be executed.”

Thoughts for later: If executing those suffering from mental retardation is unconstitutional because they cannot understand their actions and the consequences of their actions, how is it that executing those suffering from severe mental illnesses is constitutional?  This just furthers my belief that the supreme court needs to revisit this issue and create set-in-stone guidelines if they’re going to keep the death penalty legal, because there should be protections against those with severe mental illnesses who are not fully culpable.

Works Cited:

Clarke, Kevin. "Death Penalty’s Decline Continues." America, vol. 216, no. 3, 06 Feb. 2017, pp. 12-14. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=121282131&site=ehost-live.