FACTS:
• CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IS LEGAL IN 32 U.S. STATES.
• AS OF JANUARY 2014 THERE WERE 3,070 INMATES IN
35 STATES AWAITING EXECUTION.
• CONNECTICUT, MARYLAND AND NEW MEXICO HAVE
ABOLISHED THE DEATH PENALTY, BUT IT IS NOT
RETROACTIVE. PRISONERS ON DEATH ROW IN THOSE
STATES WILL STILL BE EXECUTED.
• SINCE 1976, WHEN THE DEATH PENALTY
WAS REINSTATED BY THE U.S. SUPREME
COURT, 1,386 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
EXECUTED. (AS OF AUGUST 2014)
• JAPAN IS THE ONLY INDUSTRIAL
DEMOCRACY BESIDES THE UNITED
STATES THAT HAS THE DEATH PENALTY.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT:
• THE U.S. GOVERNMENT AND U.S.
MILITARY HAVE 61 PEOPLE AWAITING
EXECUTION. (AS OF JULY 2014)
• THE U.S. GOVERNMENT HAS
EXECUTED THREE PEOPLE SINCE 1976.
(AS OF JUNE 2014)
FEMALES:
• THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 61
WOMEN ON DEATH ROW IN THE
UNITED STATES. (AS OF JUNE 2014)
• FOURTEEN WOMEN HAVE BEEN
EXECUTED SINCE THE
REINSTATEMENT OF THE DEATH
PENALTY IN 1976. (AS OF JUNE 2014)
JUVENILES:
• TWENTY-TWO INDIVIDUALS WERE EXECUTED
BETWEEN 1985 AND 2003 FOR CRIMES
COMMITTED AS JUVENILES AGED 16 AND 17.
• MARCH 1, 2005 - ROPER V. SIMMONS. THE
SUPREME COURT RULES THAT THE EXECUTION OF
JUVENILES IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. THIS MEANS
THAT 16 AND 17-YEAR-OLDS ARE INELIGIBLE FOR
EXECUTION. AND REVERSES TWO 1989 CASES IN
KENTUCKY AND MISSOURI.
CLEMENCY:
• CLEMENCY PROCESSES AROUND THE
COUNTRY
• 275 CLEMENCIES HAVE BEEN GRANTED IN
THE UNITED STATES SINCE 1976.
• FOR FEDERAL DEATH ROW INMATES, THE
PRESIDENT ALONE HAS THE POWER TO
GRANT A PARDON.
A map showing country votes on the 2008 UN death penalty
moratorium.
In favour (106)
Against (46)
Abstained (34
PRO/CON
1.
DETERRENCE
2.
RETRIBUTION
3.
CONSTITUTIONALITY
4.
IRREVOCABLE MISTAKES
5.
COST OF DEATH VS. LIFE IN PRISON
6.
7.
8.
9.
RACE
INCOME LEVEL
ATTORNEY QUALITY
PHYSICIANS AT EXECUTIONS
FACT SHEET
• HTTP://WWW.DEATHPENALTYINFO.ORG/DOCUMENTS/FACTSHEET.PDF
WARREN HILL
•READ THE ARTICLE ON WARREN HILL.
•ANNOTATE AND MAKE CONNECTIONS TO THE EQ:
WHAT IS “CRUEL AND UNUSUAL” PUNISHMENT?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
EXIT TICKET
•IS THE DEATH PENALTY “CRUEL AND
UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT FOR THE MENTALLY
DISABLED?
•WHY OR WHY NOT?