I am thankful that the judge, Gregory Weeks, stood up and brought up the fact that their system was bias. For centuries, racism has always been a large problem all over the world. And it is still evident today. North Carolina Death Penalty system is definitely not excluded for this and the proof is in the statistics. In North Carolina, twenty two percent of the total population is African American. But the percentage of the population on death row is even higher and sits at fifty three percent. Let’s be honest with ourselves, when you have capital punishment; does it really deter people from committing murder? No I do not think so. If you have it in your mind to kill someone, you are probably not thinking about the consequences. But when you know that someone watched you commit this murder, you remember what will happen if you are caught or turned in. You are going to be sentenced to death. So that person is going to kill any witnesses to try and not get caught. But the fact of the matter is it only amplifies the effect. You have more to lose when you have a death sentence. This system is not perfect for five reasons which are stated in the video. One, being sentenced to death is relatively rare as the world leans more away from previous mind set. Two, it is ineffective because it does not deter from murdering others. It encourages it. Three, it is expensive. To put someone to death, it costs about $58, 592 and only $14,170 to incarcerate someone for life. The North Carolina system spends a quart of a million dollars more to put someone to death. Four, it is bias. If you look at the numbers, you can see the disparity. The factors depend on the race of the offender, race of the victim, the gender of the victim, and the race of the jury. With this disparity, ninety five percent of all North Carolina’s death row population has filed for an appeal under the Racial Justice Act. These numbers and facts are startling. And finally five, the system is imperfect. The reason for this is that the error rate is at sixty seven percent. In my opinion, the death penalty can be more appropriate for certain crimes and not so much for other crimes. It does not deter certain people and innocent people are at risk for being convicted. There is always that risk and at some points, I fear that the system will murder those that did not deserve it. North Carolina should have taken a lesson from Illinois Death Penalty’s conundrum. They should have put more effort in correcting their system and now they have to suffer the consequences.
Please revisit your numbers. It cost more than $14,170 to incarcerate an inmate for life. That's the non-death penalty trial amount. You also have to take into consideration that length of time the inmate will be held in prison, for life, and add that total to the amount of money spent to keep him healthy and alive for all those years, say 50 years for an average. Now, total all that up and see how much it costs compared to the cost to execute an inmate. Then you can use the money argument, which I don't think will hold water.
When I was typing out this comment, I was in a hurry and didn't proof read it. I apologize for that. It is $14,170 a year to house a prisoner in the North Carolina prison system. If you had watched the video, you would have realized that. Excuse me for saying this but watch the video again and taking notes would be in your best interest. All the information I provided on my comment is explained in the video, taken from my own personal experiences, and is based on the information that Dr. Anthony White has provided in the classes I have taken with him.If you have any comments or questions, please let me know.
Overall the video and articles do propose an interesting argument. The state of North Carolina has always been a hotbed for racial tensions since the Civil War. I think that Michigan State study is flawed in that it only looked at about 160 cases out of over 600 capital cases, which is about a quarter of the cases. It is easy to point out that this is not sufficient to say that all juries were racially set up. It does support that maybe 1 in 4 was and that resulted in the death sentence. The other 75% of cases need to be reviewed before all the convictions are set to life in prison. Statistics can be swayed in any direction that you want them to fall, so I am not a fan of statistics, without an independent review by a non-partisian group. Were the methods and intent of the convicted murderers taken into account in the jury's decision to approve the death sentence? Was that even a statistic examined by the Michigan State research team? It has merit and demands futher examination.
What other means are there if we can't execute people who have been "removed" from society for all times (until death), that will cost less than life in prison without parole (but 3 hots, a cot, exercise, cable TV, sports, free medical and dental, etc)??? Maybe there's an uninhabited island waiting for all the death row criminals and life in prison criminals that they can be shipped to and left to fend for themselves?? I saw it in a movie once. Just a thought.
From a lot of studies I have read also, Capital Punishment is not a deterrent to murder at all. Many statistics I have researched also showed that capital punishment doesn't deter. So, what he said in this video is correct. Also, talking about discrimination, killing whites you were three and half times more likely to be sentenced to death. The chances of death when killing other races such as African Americans, the percentage decreased. This shows the discrimination in North Carolina. Not only in this state, but in a lot of states it was shown that these same things happened. There were also people put to death with evidence found false. Capital punishment has been corrupt and it also costs millions of dollars more than just sentencing life in prison.
I totaly agree that capital punishment has been corrupt & costs Americans millions but America's justice system is the most efficient justice system in the world too. There will never be a perfect justice system but America is the closest to perfect as we know it. There will always be innocent people convicted of crimes, but as time progresses w/ technology, the numbers of innocent criminals is decreasing. I also agree, it should not matter what race you are, you should be punished by the crime you commited. thanks, kylemooney123
I was very suprised to see that experts and even the citizens have confessed that the death penalty is not a deterrant. It's hard to believe that people, with the knowing that if they commit the crime, they will be sentenced to death and yet they still do the crime. This fact is concrete knowledge that the death sentence is almost not serving the purpose that it is designed for in our justice system. On the other hand, I am also a firm believer that some serial murders should be put to death from their horrific actions to innocent people. Some may agree that a murderer should be put to death, but some may also believe the punishment of life in prison to think about their actions is a much more harsh punishment. I believe the second option of life in prison is an appropriate punishment for murder, but for the death sentence, it depends on the degree of the crime to inflict such a punishment as such. It's hard to believe putting a person to death is financially much more expensive to life in prison, but it is something we need to remember as well. They even state that NC could have saved $11 million in their criminal justice if they would have sentenced people to life in prison rather than death row. It's also hard to believe how many mistakes have occured in Americas state justice systems. If 7 people have been release from NC's death row since 1975, who knows how many people were sentenced to death & actually died for a crime they did not commit.I beleive America will always have capital punishment, but the rules & laws behind the death sentence will change soon too.
I think that its quite evident that capital punishment isn't effective at all when it comes to deterrence. All it has done is create chaos, several innocent people have been put to death due to false accusations made at the time of their conviction. Its sad to see how much evidence within criminal cases/law suits aren't looked into well enough to realize that the wrong people are being put to death for a crime that they had never committed to begin with. Not to mention how many people were convicted/wrongfully judge due to their race/ethnicity, which has been a mistake made not only in North Carolina but several other states as well. Another issue with the death penalty is how much money it requires to get done, it costs more money to put someone to death than it does to provide for them when sentenced to life in prison.
Watch the video, the articles mention people getting life instead of because of racial discrimination but the video shows an overview of other major flaws within capital punishment sentencing.
These figures are fascinating but it makes me curious because there apparently hasn't been anyone in North Carolina put to death since 2006. It's understandable why they would stop because of how they had approached capital punishment. It's clear their system of justice is flawed just like all the other systems in one form or another whether by capital punishment or at it's most basic level, sentencing but with these things in mind what places have not been adjusting and what state is rank #1 in imposing the death penalty?
As we can see the death penalty has been a huge controversy within the criminal justice system. I personally think that the death penalty should no longer exist due to the fact that the chaos and issues out way the benefits of it. It appears that there have been several incidents of peopler being put down simply because of their race, theres issues with high costs of money to put people to death, as well as numerous events where DNA and evidence hasn't been looked into deep enough, thus resulting in putting innocent people to death.
i believe that there are certain cases where the death penalty should be exercised. there are crimes in this world where there is no other option but the death penalty. just like we've seen in the past, there are people (for what they've done to others) who just don't deserve to live. I guess the reasoning behind it would be that the crime you committed is so brutal, a group of your peers cant judge you, only God, or whom ever you believe in can judge you in the after life. i have a very conservative stand point on this subject, because if there was some one out there who murdered my future wife and children i would want them dead. its a form of retribution for me and my family.
I feel we should still have the death penalty. I feel that its a form of justice to a family who has just lost a loved one to someone who obviously had issues. They would want to see this person die or rot in prison,I know I would. Plus it would take a lot of finances to keep them alive anyway, and I know if I would ever be in that situation where I knew one of my dead loved one's killer was still alive inside those walls I don't think I could sleep at night.
I would agree if you could assure that the person dying is really innocent. You can never be 100% sure. In Illinois, the death penalty was abolished after politicians realized that innocent people were being put to death.
After watching the video, it is clear that the death penality is something that should be abolished. The death penality is rare, cost much more than conventional methods of punishment, is not a deterent to murder, has serious "race of victim bias," and kills innocent people. Race of victim bias means that if you are the victim and are white (or especially a white woman), your killer is more likely to get the death penalty. This couple with killing innocent people makes the death penality a method that should not be used. Marlene Bello123
I am thankful that the judge, Gregory Weeks, stood up and brought up the fact that their system was bias. For centuries, racism has always been a large problem all over the world. And it is still evident today. North Carolina Death Penalty system is definitely not excluded for this and the proof is in the statistics. In North Carolina, twenty two percent of the total population is African American. But the percentage of the population on death row is even higher and sits at fifty three percent. Let’s be honest with ourselves, when you have capital punishment; does it really deter people from committing murder? No I do not think so. If you have it in your mind to kill someone, you are probably not thinking about the consequences. But when you know that someone watched you commit this murder, you remember what will happen if you are caught or turned in. You are going to be sentenced to death. So that person is going to kill any witnesses to try and not get caught. But the fact of the matter is it only amplifies the effect. You have more to lose when you have a death sentence.
ReplyDeleteThis system is not perfect for five reasons which are stated in the video. One, being sentenced to death is relatively rare as the world leans more away from previous mind set. Two, it is ineffective because it does not deter from murdering others. It encourages it. Three, it is expensive. To put someone to death, it costs about $58, 592 and only $14,170 to incarcerate someone for life. The North Carolina system spends a quart of a million dollars more to put someone to death. Four, it is bias. If you look at the numbers, you can see the disparity. The factors depend on the race of the offender, race of the victim, the gender of the victim, and the race of the jury. With this disparity, ninety five percent of all North Carolina’s death row population has filed for an appeal under the Racial Justice Act. These numbers and facts are startling. And finally five, the system is imperfect. The reason for this is that the error rate is at sixty seven percent.
In my opinion, the death penalty can be more appropriate for certain crimes and not so much for other crimes. It does not deter certain people and innocent people are at risk for being convicted. There is always that risk and at some points, I fear that the system will murder those that did not deserve it. North Carolina should have taken a lesson from Illinois Death Penalty’s conundrum. They should have put more effort in correcting their system and now they have to suffer the consequences.
Alyssa DeVore123
I agree with your comment
DeleteAliya Mairza 123
Please revisit your numbers. It cost more than $14,170 to incarcerate an inmate for life. That's the non-death penalty trial amount. You also have to take into consideration that length of time the inmate will be held in prison, for life, and add that total to the amount of money spent to keep him healthy and alive for all those years, say 50 years for an average. Now, total all that up and see how much it costs compared to the cost to execute an inmate. Then you can use the money argument, which I don't think will hold water.
ReplyDeleteJust an observation.
Chris H123
When I was typing out this comment, I was in a hurry and didn't proof read it. I apologize for that. It is $14,170 a year to house a prisoner in the North Carolina prison system. If you had watched the video, you would have realized that. Excuse me for saying this but watch the video again and taking notes would be in your best interest. All the information I provided on my comment is explained in the video, taken from my own personal experiences, and is based on the information that Dr. Anthony White has provided in the classes I have taken with him.If you have any comments or questions, please let me know.
DeleteThank you.
Overall the video and articles do propose an interesting argument. The state of North Carolina has always been a hotbed for racial tensions since the Civil War. I think that Michigan State study is flawed in that it only looked at about 160 cases out of over 600 capital cases, which is about a quarter of the cases. It is easy to point out that this is not sufficient to say that all juries were racially set up. It does support that maybe 1 in 4 was and that resulted in the death sentence. The other 75% of cases need to be reviewed before all the convictions are set to life in prison. Statistics can be swayed in any direction that you want them to fall, so I am not a fan of statistics, without an independent review by a non-partisian group. Were the methods and intent of the convicted murderers taken into account in the jury's decision to approve the death sentence? Was that even a statistic examined by the Michigan State research team? It has merit and demands futher examination.
ReplyDeleteWhat other means are there if we can't execute people who have been "removed" from society for all times (until death), that will cost less than life in prison without parole (but 3 hots, a cot, exercise, cable TV, sports, free medical and dental, etc)??? Maybe there's an uninhabited island waiting for all the death row criminals and life in prison criminals that they can be shipped to and left to fend for themselves?? I saw it in a movie once. Just a thought.
Chris H123
From a lot of studies I have read also, Capital Punishment is not a deterrent to murder at all. Many statistics I have researched also showed that capital punishment doesn't deter. So, what he said in this video is correct. Also, talking about discrimination, killing whites you were three and half times more likely to be sentenced to death. The chances of death when killing other races such as African Americans, the percentage decreased. This shows the discrimination in North Carolina. Not only in this state, but in a lot of states it was shown that these same things happened. There were also people put to death with evidence found false. Capital punishment has been corrupt and it also costs millions of dollars more than just sentencing life in prison.
ReplyDeleteI totaly agree that capital punishment has been corrupt & costs Americans millions but America's justice system is the most efficient justice system in the world too. There will never be a perfect justice system but America is the closest to perfect as we know it. There will always be innocent people convicted of crimes, but as time progresses w/ technology, the numbers of innocent criminals is decreasing. I also agree, it should not matter what race you are, you should be punished by the crime you commited.
Deletethanks,
kylemooney123
I agree with your comment
DeleteI was very suprised to see that experts and even the citizens have confessed that the death penalty is not a deterrant. It's hard to believe that people, with the knowing that if they commit the crime, they will be sentenced to death and yet they still do the crime. This fact is concrete knowledge that the death sentence is almost not serving the purpose that it is designed for in our justice system. On the other hand, I am also a firm believer that some serial murders should be put to death from their horrific actions to innocent people. Some may agree that a murderer should be put to death, but some may also believe the punishment of life in prison to think about their actions is a much more harsh punishment. I believe the second option of life in prison is an appropriate punishment for murder, but for the death sentence, it depends on the degree of the crime to inflict such a punishment as such. It's hard to believe putting a person to death is financially much more expensive to life in prison, but it is something we need to remember as well. They even state that NC could have saved $11 million in their criminal justice if they would have sentenced people to life in prison rather than death row. It's also hard to believe how many mistakes have occured in Americas state justice systems. If 7 people have been release from NC's death row since 1975, who knows how many people were sentenced to death & actually died for a crime they did not commit.I beleive America will always have capital punishment, but the rules & laws behind the death sentence will change soon too.
ReplyDeleteKyle Mooney123
I think that its quite evident that capital punishment isn't effective at all when it comes to deterrence. All it has done is create chaos, several innocent people have been put to death due to false accusations made at the time of their conviction. Its sad to see how much evidence within criminal cases/law suits aren't looked into well enough to realize that the wrong people are being put to death for a crime that they had never committed to begin with. Not to mention how many people were convicted/wrongfully judge due to their race/ethnicity, which has been a mistake made not only in North Carolina but several other states as well. Another issue with the death penalty is how much money it requires to get done, it costs more money to put someone to death than it does to provide for them when sentenced to life in prison.
ReplyDeleteAliya Mairza 321
this makes me wonder if any and how many innocent people have been killed by the death penalty
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWatch the video, the articles mention people getting life instead of because of racial discrimination but the video shows an overview of other major flaws within capital punishment sentencing.
DeleteThese figures are fascinating but it makes me curious because there apparently hasn't been anyone in North Carolina put to death since 2006. It's understandable why they would stop because of how they had approached capital punishment. It's clear their system of justice is flawed just like all the other systems in one form or another whether by capital punishment or at it's most basic level, sentencing but with these things in mind what places have not been adjusting and what state is rank #1 in imposing the death penalty?
ReplyDeleteThis same thing happened in Illinois. It is time to stop the death penalty.
DeleteAs we can see the death penalty has been a huge controversy within the criminal justice system. I personally think that the death penalty should no longer exist due to the fact that the chaos and issues out way the benefits of it. It appears that there have been several incidents of peopler being put down simply because of their race, theres issues with high costs of money to put people to death, as well as numerous events where DNA and evidence hasn't been looked into deep enough, thus resulting in putting innocent people to death.
ReplyDeleteAliya Mairza 123
i believe that there are certain cases where the death penalty should be exercised. there are crimes in this world where there is no other option but the death penalty. just like we've seen in the past, there are people (for what they've done to others) who just don't deserve to live. I guess the reasoning behind it would be that the crime you committed is so brutal, a group of your peers cant judge you, only God, or whom ever you believe in can judge you in the after life. i have a very conservative stand point on this subject, because if there was some one out there who murdered my future wife and children i would want them dead. its a form of retribution for me and my family.
ReplyDeleteI feel we should still have the death penalty. I feel that its a form of justice to a family who has just lost a loved one to someone who obviously had issues. They would want to see this person die or rot in prison,I know I would. Plus it would take a lot of finances to keep them alive anyway, and I know if I would ever be in that situation where I knew one of my dead loved one's killer was still alive inside those walls I don't think I could sleep at night.
ReplyDeleteEmily Hammerl123
I would agree if you could assure that the person dying is really innocent. You can never be 100% sure. In Illinois, the death penalty was abolished after politicians realized that innocent people were being put to death.
DeleteAfter watching the video, it is clear that the death penality is something that should be abolished. The death penality is rare, cost much more than conventional methods of punishment, is not a deterent to murder, has serious "race of victim bias," and kills innocent people. Race of victim bias means that if you are the victim and are white (or especially a white woman), your killer is more likely to get the death penalty. This couple with killing innocent people makes the death penality a method that should not be used. Marlene Bello123
ReplyDelete