The Death Penalty

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject History - America, University of North Florida, language: English, abstract: According to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Fall 2006 report, the total number of death row inmates amounts to 3,344. There are roughly 41 percent black and 45 percent white prisoners awaiting their execution. Since the reinstatement of capital punishment in 1976, 1047 people have been executed. (Death Row 1, 5). Among all U.S. states allowing the death penalty, California, Texas and Florida have the most criminals on death row (Death Row 29). Normally, major reasons in favor of capital punishments are retribution, deterrence, and the general protection of society. Many people experience poetic justice and indemnification when murderers receive their death sentences. They disregard the unproportional, high cost of the capital punishment process which evolves due to repeated appeals and prisoners spending years or even decades on death row (Banner 295).