Is The Death Penalty Biased?

Paper Summary:

The paper examines the problem of racial bias, gender bias, juveniles and capital punishment and the link between poverty and the death penalty. The paper contends that overall, the death penalty may be a necessary evil in our society, however, until we can be one hundred percent sure it is meted out fairly, a moratorium on the act may be in order.

Outline:
Introduction
Racial Bias and Capital Punishment
Gender as a Factor in Death Penalty Sentencing
Capital Punishment and Juveniles
Poverty and the Death Penalty
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Capital punishment has been administered and accepted in this country for over 200 years, however, some states have now abolished the practice, while others continue with sanctioned executions. In 2000, Governor George Ryan of Illinois suspended executions in that state and "commuted the death sentences of all Illinois death row inmates in 2003" (Wolfers 791). Following Ryan's lead, in 2004, New York's highest court ruled that the state's death penalty statute was unconstitutional. Although prisoners still sit on California's death row, executions in that state are virtually nonexistent, however, executions in Texas continue at an even pace (791). "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Johnson, Colleen F., and Johnson, Jeffrey, J. "Poverty and the Death Penalty." Journal of Economic Issues 35.2 (2001): 517-524.
• Haines, Herbert H. Against Capital Punishment: The Anti-death Penalty Movement in America, 1972-1994. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
• Howe, Scott W. "The Futile Quest for Racial Neutrality in Capital Selection and the Eighth Amendment Argument for Abolition Base on Unconscious Racial Discrimination." William and Mary Law Review 45.5 (2004): 2083-2166.
• Klug, Elizabeth A. "Inter Alia.(Study of Racial And Geographical Disparities in Federal Death Penalty System)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)." Corrections Compendium 26.7 (2001): 1-2.
• Pope, Amy E. "A feminist Look at the Death Penalty." Law and Contemporary Problems 65.1 (2002): 257-282.

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