Death Penalty Constitutional Amendment

Paper Summary:

This paper explores another argument against the death penalty: that capital punishment could not be fairly administered throughout the country. From state to state, variables such as race, class, and even gender continue to influence sentencing in capital cases. The inherent unfairness of this system is further seen in how states have different standards regarding what constitutes a capital offense. Given these differences, this paper proposes that a Constitutional amendment banning capital punishment is necessary on the grounds that the current administration of the death penalty is prone to conflicting interpretations by states, conflicting interpretations among jurors, and to the influence of extra-legal factors, such as gender, class, and race.

From the Paper:

"Currently, 38 states have legalized capital punishment statutes. In most states, the reinstatements of the death penalty were a response to public outcry over the perceived increase of violent crimes. There are now more than 3,000 people on death row. However, the death penalty continues to raise many disturbing questions. Study after study, however, has shown no correlation between the availability of a death penalty and crime. A study by the Death Penalty Information Center shows that United States, which retains the death penalty, has a murder rate that is more than three times that of many of its European allies that have banned capital punishment (DPIC homepage)."

More papers on Death Penalty Constitutional Amendment:

• Term Paper # 68217 : "The Death Penalty"
• Persuasive Essay # 16715 : "Justice and the Death Penalty"
• Analytical Essay # 145206 : "Thurgood Marshall and the Death Penalty"

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