Capital Punishment Justice or Sin?

Background Facts and Trends  38 States in US have death penalty  1099 executions since 1976 (Texas leads with 405, Virginia next with 98  New York has death penalty: no executions since 1976  Number of executions have steadily declined since 1999  11 women executed since 1976 (1.4% of death row inmates are women)

Facts and Trends cont  Most studies conclude death penalty does not deter murder rates  South region accounts for 80% of executions but has the highest murder rate  Northeast has fewest executions and lowest murder rate

Financial Facts: Cost to Taxpayers  CA: $114 million per/year beyond cost of keeping inmate locked  CA: $250 million for each execution  Kansas: capital cases cost 70% more than non-capital cases  FL: average cost per execution: $24 million each  TX: cost 2.3 million per inmate  Majority of Police Chiefs in country believe death penalty is not effective law enforcement tool

Juveniles and Mentally Retarded and the Death Penalty  Supreme Court’s Roper vs Simmons (2005) struck down the death penalty for minors  Supreme Court decision in Atkins vs Virginia (2002) declared it unconstitutional to execute mentally retarded

Race and the Death Penalty  While blacks make up about 10% of general population, make up 42% of inmates on death row  98% of chief district attorneys in death penalty cases are white  White defendants executed for killing blacks: 22  Black defendants executed for killing whites: 223  Those who kill whites 3 times more likely to be executed

Catholic Church and the Death Penalty  How does the Ethic of Life relate to the death penalty?

Background Information  Church long acknowledged right of state to use death penalty to protect society  However, Church has clearly and steadily moved away from this  Ethic of Life : Respect for each human life (Image of God) and for God (Creator) calls us to choose life

Official Teachings  JPII: The Gospel of Life: dignity of life must never be taken away, even in case of someone who does great evil  USCCB: A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death: –sentence of death, when not necessary to protect society, violates respect for human life: –State executions diminish us all  Catechism of Catholic Church: –the pain and loss of one death cannot be wiped away by the death of another

Trinity, Incarnation, and the Death Penalty  Again, what do these core and highest Christian doctrines tell us about the morality of the death penalty?

US Bishops ask People of Faith to  Pray –For victims and their families, those wrongly convicted, and those awaiting execution  Learn –About Catholic Social Teaching, US criminal justice policies  Educate –Those in parish or community about Catholic social teachings  Advocate –Contact elected officials and discuss CST and see what can be done