1,463 people have been executed in America since 1976, with 65% of those executions coming from only 5 states. Of the 34 states that used the capital punishment, 19 states have each executed under 20 people over the past 40 years, and the overall amount of executions in the country have declined (“Facts about the Death Penalty”). People assume that America utilizes the death penalty often. In reality, it is a phenomenon. However, most Americans are supporters of capital punishment despite its growing costs and dwindling popularity amongst other nations. Their views do however align with Middle-Eastern countries and Asian countries whose execution rates have risen. This has made capital punishment more unpopular around the globe since these countries are known for their restrictive governments. This connection has made people question America’s use of the death penalty. Although the amount of executions has decreased in the United States, it still ranks among countries like China and Iran, which are known for their crimes against human rights, as having the most executions in the world. Many developed countries have made capital punishment illegal and have seen a decrease of inmates and costs associated with prisons. The United States should abolish the death penalty because it goes against American values, is costly, and risks people’s lives. 

While most countries are turning away from the death penalty due to its inhumane nature, Middle-Eastern and Asian countries are using it as a form of reasonable punishment. Of the top five executing countries in the world, four are in the Middle-East: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Pakistan. These countries are known to have oppressive governments, primarily due to the religion of the region, Islam, which is strongly connected with the government. Dr. Carsten Anckar, a Finnish professor in political science, assesses religion as a determinate of capital punishment. His research into various religions’ ideology shows that “Christianity is negatively associated with the death penalty and that Islam... goes hand-in-hand with a positive view of the death penalty” (Anckar 165). This, Anckar says, explains why many countries in the Middle East still use the death penalty since their religion does not talk against it. The author also concludes that many countries where Christianity is widely practiced have abolished the death penalty, apart from some like the United States. The middle-eastern countries are also known to have used their religion to oppress others who do not follow their religion and ideology. Reasons for executions include homosexuality, blasphemy against Islamic beliefs, and adultery while married. In addition to Middle-Eastern countries, the top executing country, China, is the epitome of a repressive government. The number given of total executions is in the thousands, but that only an estimation because the government keeps many of its executions top secret. It is unknown as to how many people are even on death row (McGann, Sandholtz). In addition, it is believed that many of the “confessions” that have brought people to death row in China were forced through torture or threats. These coerced confessions violate these people’s rights to fair trials which goes against American values. The oppressive nature of this country and lack of communication between the government and its people go against American values of democracy and freedom of its citizens.

Why should Americans care about other countries when their rational for using capital punishment is not the same as the United States? The United States stands for the freedom of not only its citizen’s, but for people’s around the world. America cannot be considered a supporter of human rights around the world if it does not recognize the atrocities occurring around the globe. While the United States’ rational for the death penalty may differ from these countries, change will not ensue if the United States does not support the fight for protecting human rights. Around the world, the death penalty is viewed as inhumane, no matter the crime committed. The countries who do not stand by these radical rationales for the death penalty have abolished the practice to show the world that it opposes these injustices. The United States needs to make this stance as well. This will help the United States’ image to important countries in the world so that they can work better together on other important, global issues. To be heard by these other countries, the Unites States must take a strong stance against this moral violation of people’s freedom of speech.

In addition to this moral issue, the United States needs to address the financial issue of the death penalty. The cost of death row is much more expensive than life in prison. Forbes’ journalist Kelly Phillips Erb found that in California, the cost annually for death row is “$137 million compared to the cost of lifetime incarceration of $11.5 million”, an incredible $125.5 million difference (Phillips Erb). Why such a sizable difference? Most death row inmates are in solitary confinement and in high-security facilities that need more cameras, locking systems, and security guards. Looking at a specific state, Kansas’ Death Penalty Advisory Committee publicized their 2014 report that analyzed costs of trials between 2004-2011 seeking the death penalty versus those that did not. In cases where the death penalty was sought, the average cost of the trial for the defense was $395,762 whereas the cost was $98,963 in cases where the death penalty was not sought. When looking at Kansas’ Supreme Court, they reported that their seven justices in three years “have spent a total of approximately 2000 hours” doing work related to death penalty cases like “preparation and research, oral argument, ...opinion writing” and more. Additionally, Supreme Justices spend on average 20 times more hours writing opinions on cases they are assigned to involving the death penalty verses ones that are not (Report of the Judicial Council Death Penalty Advisory Committee). This shows not only money wasted on hours needed for them to work but also the time they waste reviewing these cases verses other cases that may be as important but do not involve someone potentially being executed. 

Looking further into trials where the death penalty is a possibility, juries are a huge factor into the price difference between trials that seek the death penalty and ones that do not. A 2011 report by judge Arthur L. Alarcón and attorney Paula M. Mitchell found that since California reinstated the death penalty in 1978, they have spent about $4 billion from tax dollars to fund the death penalty while only executing 13 people in that time (Alarcón and Mitchell). They also found that picking jurors for the death penalty cost $200,000 more than other murder trials. The selection process also takes much longer which then continues to raise the cost of the attorneys involved and other trial costs. In addition, the appeals process for inmates on death row is much more expensive. This is due to the automatic appeals process which then requires attorneys to be hired for both sides. In addition, the death row inmate can seek going to the U.S. Supreme Court which also is expensive and takes time. These, in most cases, public defenders assigned to the person by the state cost a lot of money from the state and therefore, citizens. All of these enormous costs are being paid for by local and state governments through tax dollars when they could be put to better use such as funding education or health care.

But it is not just a financial risk the United States needs to be concerned with, it is also the risk of losing innocent lives. The average time spent on death row is 15 years which means that technology has growth increasingly better and could affect the verdict of cases. DNA testing could prove the innocence of some convicts, but death row is far too large to do testing for all before their execution date. While most convicts spend many years on death row, life without parole would give states more time to review cases and retest DNA (“Death Penalty: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver). The lack of resources given to death row inmates, like more experienced lawyers, hinders their chances of getting their sentences reversed and being released. Since 1973, 160 exonerations have been given to death row inmates with Florida alone releasing 27 inmates. In addition, around 282 inmates were granted clemency (“Facts About the Death Penalty”). While inmates have been able to be freed from death row, an unimaginable amount have not been so lucky. The risk of losing an innocent human’s life should be enough reason to abolish the death penalty to ensure real justice is given to real criminals. 

Not only does the death penalty risk executing innocent lives, it risks violating the eighth amendment. In 2014, an execution in Oklahoma lasted around 45 minutes where the convict, Clayton Lockett suffered from cardiac arrest due to the lethal drug given to him (Robins-Early). The drug given to Lockett was made by the state due to the lack of companies producing lethal drugs. With dwindling support for the death penalty globally and restriction on medications, many companies that once supplied the lethal injection drugs have stopped producing them. This has led to states making “medical concoctions” of various drugs as to continue slashing through death row inmates, like Lockett. These dangerous methods used by governments are risking people’s lives and are perceived by some as violating the Eighth Amendment. The prolonged executions are painful for the convicts, as in Clayton Lockett case, when he suffered a heart attack due to the state’s homemade drug (Clark). This is not a phenomenon; since 1880-2012, about 3% of all executions were botched in some way which is enough for people to say that it is cruel and an unusual punishment that needs to be banned. In fact, about 7% of lethal injections are botched, the only form of capital punishment used in the modern United States (Sarat 97). This rate is unacceptable for a highly advanced society and needs to be rethought.

Other advanced societies, many in Europe, abolished the death penalty years ago and have seen a decrease in overall population in prison. For example, Sweden abolished the death penalty for all crimes in 1976 but celebrated 100 years since their last execution in 2010. Sweden closed 56 prisons in 2014 due to another fall in inmates. Sweden’s director-general for Sweden’s prisons believes that “[their] role is not to punish. [The inmates] punishment is the prison sentence” since they are being deprived of their freedom (James). The Netherlands is experiencing the same situation as Sweden and is having to close down its prisons. It has actually started to “lease” cells to other countries’ convicts like Belgium and Norway (Boztas). While these countries have seen a falling crime rate and lack of prison population, the United States has more prisoners than can be handled. So, what can be done in the United States? Life in prison without chance of parole. This still punishes convicts for the crimes they have done, but limits costs and does not risk executing innocent lives. A large number of convicts on death row sit there for years and even die of natural causes before making it to their scheduled death date. Instead, they could be sitting in a prison facility with a lot of security but at a lower cost. They now do not know how long they will live but they know they will only see this prison facility for the rest of their lives. Justice is still served, and innocent people convicted are now given more time to prove their innocence. The United States could strongly benefit from abolishing the death penalty because there are many inmates sitting on death row that are using a lot more tax payer dollars than if they were in normal prisons. A commission in New Jersey reported that abolishing the death penalty “would save the public defender’s office $1.46 million per year in legal costs and enable Death Row inmates to be confined elsewhere at roughly half the current cost” (“If the Death Penalty is Abolished, What Next?). Saving money from death row could then be used for the prison system to help other inmates of lesser crimes get rehabilitated and contribute to society better when they leave. Again, this will help another issue the United States has which is an overpopulated prison system. If death row inmates are put into other prison facilities, the money saved could be used to fund programs that help prevent other people form reentering the prison system and live better in society. They could then get better jobs and then put more money back into the economy which continues to have more money added back into it. This chain reaction due to the illegalization of the death penalty only helps society and the economy, which the death penalty cannot due if it is still legal.

Abolishing the death penalty would further support American values, cut costs, and eliminate risking lives. Countries around the world who have abolished the death penalty have seen a decrease in prison populations due to a change in their perspectives on punishment and prison. A philosophy of rehabilitation and not punishment could aid the United States in reducing their overcrowded prison populations and save money. By following other countries’ philosophy, America can be the example to follow if it abolishes the death penalty. This change could also help United States’ image around the globe, since it is being associated with Iran and China, and be further respected as a protector of human rights and democracy. By protecting democracy, the United States’ can live up to its core values of freedom of speech and expression which is what made America known as a global pioneer. This old view of an eye for an eye is holding America back from its true potential.  The death penalty is no longer a viable option in the 21st century and must be abolished. 
