Increased calls in the US to abolish the death penalty

2024-05-05 18:09:29, Kosova & Bota CNA

While some American states are considering new methods to implement the death penalty, American public opinion is showing signs that it is changing its stance and does not support the execution. VOA correspondent Veronica Balderas Iglesias takes a look at the arguments for and against the death penalty as the United States faces increased international calls to abandon the practice.

The implementation of the death penalty in the United States is being re-examined after the state of Alabama used nitrogen gas to execute a death row inmate for the first time in January.

States are seeking alternative execution methods while lethal injection substances are in short supply. But there is still no consensus on which form of execution is considered the most humane.

"Some states are considering returning to the firing squad, others are considering electrocution. Execution methods must not cause pain and suffering, and that is the standard set for states," says Robin Maher, Center for Death Penalty Information.

The failure of the state of Idaho in February to execute a serial killer by lethal injection prompted repeated calls from the European Union for the United States to follow the example of the rest of the world and abolish the death penalty.

In 2022, there were 55 countries worldwide that allowed the death penalty.

"The death penalty does not prevent crime, on the contrary. There is a possibility that the justice system will make a mistake and this mistake is irreversible", says Peter Stano, EU Spokesperson for Foreign Policy.

There are signs that the situation is changing. Of the 50 US states, 27 still retain the death penalty, but only five of them carried out executions in the past year, bringing the total number of executions to 24.

Among Democrats, public support for the death penalty has gradually declined in recent years, according to Gallup polls.

Last year, only 32 percent of Democrats favored capital punishment, compared with 81 percent of Republicans.

"I think concerns about fairness, equity and justice are driving this change in the national discussion," says Professor Austin Sarat.

While mindful of the concerns of those who want to abolish the practice, particularly the possibility of an innocent person being executed, New York Law School professor Robert Blecker does not think it is likely that the death penalty will be completely abolished.

"The only moral justification for punishment is revenge. Because some people commit crimes that are so cruel, with such a despicable approach that they simply deserve to die," says Robert Blecker of New York Law School.

As a presidential candidate in 2020, Joe Biden pledged to abolish the death penalty, but there have been some inconsistencies during his administration, according to analysts.

The Justice Department imposed a federal moratorium on executions in 2021, but allowed prosecutors to seek the death penalty for the mass killings in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Buffalo, New York.

Former Republican President Donald Trump, who is running for president again, has suggested that the death penalty should also be used for drug dealers.

However, historically, the death penalty has not presented a major concern to American voters during an election year./ VOA