Race and the Death Penalty
Yiseily De los Santos
December 18, 2014
Race and the Death Penalty The death penalty is an extremely difficult topic to discuss for many individuals. There are many individuals who have trouble accepting this form of punishment still exists in the U.S. because of they find it to be inhumane. A lot of individuals have argued that the death penalty serves no justice and the punishment is basically a crime for a crime. There has also been a correlation with race and the death penalty, specifically in the southern part of America. This paper will explore the history of death penalty, and death penalty decisions, specifically focusing its impact on race. It will also examine its connection to traditional police subculture in the south. In addition, it will examine whether this style of punishment is efficient and how it affects the public. The objective of this paper is to find out if race plays a role in the administration of the death penalty.
The Inception of the Death Penalty in America The use of death penalty in America was influenced by Britain. When European settlers came to America, they brought the practice of capital punishment. Laws regarding the death penalty varied from colony to colony. The first recorded execution in the new colonies was of Captain George Kendall in the Jamestown colony of Virginia in 1608. Kendall was executed for being a spy for Spain. In 1612, Virginia Governor Sir Thomas Dale enacted the Divine, Moral and Martial Laws, which provided the death penalty for even minor offenses such as stealing grapes, killing chickens, and trading with Indians. In 1630, Massachusetts Bay Colony held its first execution, even though the Capital Laws of New England did not go into effect until years later. The New York Colony instituted the Duke 's Laws of 1665 and under these laws, offenses such as striking one 's mother or father, or denying the “true God”, were punishable by death (Death Penalty Information Center). As the years past, along came
December 18, 2014
Race and the Death Penalty The death penalty is an extremely difficult topic to discuss for many individuals. There are many individuals who have trouble accepting this form of punishment still exists in the U.S. because of they find it to be inhumane. A lot of individuals have argued that the death penalty serves no justice and the punishment is basically a crime for a crime. There has also been a correlation with race and the death penalty, specifically in the southern part of America. This paper will explore the history of death penalty, and death penalty decisions, specifically focusing its impact on race. It will also examine its connection to traditional police subculture in the south. In addition, it will examine whether this style of punishment is efficient and how it affects the public. The objective of this paper is to find out if race plays a role in the administration of the death penalty.
The Inception of the Death Penalty in America The use of death penalty in America was influenced by Britain. When European settlers came to America, they brought the practice of capital punishment. Laws regarding the death penalty varied from colony to colony. The first recorded execution in the new colonies was of Captain George Kendall in the Jamestown colony of Virginia in 1608. Kendall was executed for being a spy for Spain. In 1612, Virginia Governor Sir Thomas Dale enacted the Divine, Moral and Martial Laws, which provided the death penalty for even minor offenses such as stealing grapes, killing chickens, and trading with Indians. In 1630, Massachusetts Bay Colony held its first execution, even though the Capital Laws of New England did not go into effect until years later. The New York Colony instituted the Duke 's Laws of 1665 and under these laws, offenses such as striking one 's mother or father, or denying the “true God”, were punishable by death (Death Penalty Information Center). As the years past, along came
Bibliography: Amnesty International USA: Death Penalty and Race- http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/death-penalty/us-death-penalty facts/death-penalty-and-race Baker, Jenkins, and Lambert (2005) Racial Differences in Death Penalty Support and Opposition: A Preliminary Study of White and Black College Students, Journal of Black Studies: Vol. 35 Issue 4, p201-224. Bjerregaard, B., Fogel, S.J., Jennings, W.G., Richards, T.N., Smith, M.D., (2014) A Critical Examination of the “White Victim Effect” and the Death Penalty Decision-Making from a Propensity Score Matching Approach: The North Carolina Experience, Journal of Criminal Justice: Vol. 42 Death Penalty Information Center- http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/part-i-history-death-penalty Fraser, Michael (2010) "Crime for Crime: Racism and the Death Penalty in the American South," Social Sciences Journal: Vol. 10: Iss.1, Article 9. Available at: http://repository.wcsu.edu/ssj/vol10/iss1/9 Vidmar, Neil (1972) The North Carolina Racial Justice Act: An Essay on Substantive and Procedural Fairness in Death Penalty Litigation, Iowa Law Review: Vol. 97:1969