Capital Punishment: An Overview of the Death Penalty in 2021

Disparities, Deterrence, and Discrimination in the Application of Capital Punishment

By: Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC)

The Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing information and analysis on the death penalty, has released an overview of the death penalty in 2021. The report highlights public opinion, racial disparities, deterrence, and other critical issues surrounding capital punishment in the United States.

According to DPIC, public opinion on the death penalty remains divided. A recent Gallup poll found that 55% of Americans support the death penalty for convicted murderers, while 43% oppose it. However, there is significant variation in support for the death penalty across different demographic groups, with higher support among white Americans, men, and Republicans.

Racial disparities persist in the application of the death penalty. Black people are disproportionately represented on death row and are more likely to be sentenced to death for the same crimes as white people. For example, a 2020 study found that Black defendants were sentenced to death in 35% of murder cases involving white victims, compared to only 15% of cases involving Black victims.

The effectiveness of the death penalty as a deterrent is also questionable. Research has repeatedly shown that the death penalty does not deter crime any more effectively than long-term imprisonment. In fact, some studies have even found that the death penalty may actually increase the risk of violent crime.

The death penalty is a flawed, discriminatory, and unjust practice that has no place in our modern justice system. It is time for the United States to abolish the death penalty and focus on more effective and equitable ways to address violent crime.