The Death Penalty and Women

Paper Summary:

The paper argues against the system of capital punishment in general and then reveals that the system appears to discriminate against the poor, especially if they are women. The paper explains that the attitude of the predominantly male sector of the justice system leave women accused of crime in a very disadvantaged position and illustrates this contention with examples of women who were convicted of murder in unfair circumstances. The paper concludes that the treatment of women serves as a poignant and practical argument against the death penalty as a whole.

Outline:
The Justice of the Criminal Justice System
Women and the Justice System
Women, Crime and the Public
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Few issues in the United States, and indeed worldwide, criminal justice system have been as widely debated and contested as the death penalty. Proponents hold that the death penalty serves the purpose of deterring serious crimes, while those who oppose it focus on arguments relating to equality issues in the criminal justice system. Indeed, the latter group note that not only prisons, but also death row, are disproportionally populated by the poor and racial minorities, who are unable to afford proper legal counsel. While few women have received capital punishment for their crimes, it is something that occurs. In most cases, women who receive such punishment are unjustly tried or are cohersed into criminal activity without their consent or predetermination. Indeed, the way in which women on death row arrived at their current situation can be used as a strong argument against the dubious justice of such punishment."

Sample of Sources Used:

• ACLU (2002). ACLU Applauds Jury Decision to Spare Andrea Yates' Life. http://www.aclu.org/capital/women/10342prs20020315.html
• Dow David & Dow, Mark. (2002). Machinery of Death. Routledge.
• Dreyfuss, Claudia. (2003). Women on Death Row in Texas. Ms. Magazine, Spring. http://www.deathrow-usa.us/womenTX.html
• Freedberg, Sydney P. (1999, Jul 4). Sonia Jacobs: "I had nothing ... The world I left no longer existed". St. Petersburg Times. http://www.truthinjustice.org/soniajacobs.htm
• Scott, Jeannine (2002, Feb). Andrea Yates Needs Treatment, Not a Death Sentence. The New Abolitionist, Iss. 23. http://www.nodeathpenalty.org/newab023/yates.html

More papers on The Death Penalty and Women:

• Analytical Essay # 63910 : "Gender and the Death Penalty"
• Research Paper # 55231 : "Women and the Death Penalty"
• Analytical Essay # 71428 : "Abortion and the Death Penalty"

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