If the U.S. is have an issue with over crowded prison. Why are the courts so lieniant to prisoners who have the death penalty?
2007-10-08 14:24:32 · 6 answers · asked by acot_anthonym 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Interesting question. Prison overcrowding actually has very little to do with the death row population.
As of January 1, 2007, the population of death rows across the United States came to 2250 people, that is less than .01% of the approximately 2.1 million people in prisons in the United States as of Oct 5, 2007. (US Senate Hearings)
From the Sentencing Project (second source), 2007, one half million people are incarcerated for drug offenses.
Approximately 220,000 people with severe mental illness are in prison at any given time (Third source)
The two main reasons our prisons are overcrowded are long sentences given to non violent drug offenders (instead of providing treatment for drug addiction) and the incarceration of people with severe mental illness who had not previously received adequate treatment. Back in the 1970's America closed many of its large mental institutions assuming that community based treatment would be widely available. That treatment did not become generally available aand for many people with mental illness, going to prison was the first time the system took note of their problems.
Last of all, 124 people on death row have been shown to be wrongfully convicted. Of these, over 50 had already served over a decade. If the legal process (which is supposed to prevent executions of innocent people) were speeded up we would surely execute many innocent people. Most of us, whether we support or oppose the death penalty, believe that would be intolerable.
2007-10-08 15:58:45 · answer #1 · answered by Susan S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that some people are just death penalty crazy. I think they would feel differently if it were their *ss sitting on death row for a crime they didnt commit....but of course some people are resigned to say "they were found guilty, let em fry!"...i pity folks like that.
Courts are lenient to people on death row because courts at least recognize that people deserve appeals when boils down to state sponsered murder....
Those accused of crimes are protected for this very reason, not all convictions are valid, and everyone (mostly) realizes this, so you have to take special care to not punish an innocent person...even if it means giving them 50 appeals.
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not to mention the prisons wouldnt BE over-crowded if we stopped putting so many people in prison for victimless crimes.....jail the violent offenders and let the non-violent ones free, then you'll see the prisons get aired out.
2007-10-08 21:35:33 · answer #2 · answered by fortwynt 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That is a great question! I am 100% PRO death penalty. I don't understand it either. I think that people forget why someone is on death-row.
2007-10-08 21:31:59 · answer #3 · answered by cyanne2ak 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Good Question!! It shouldn't be an issue to those on Death Row!!! Maybe they want to be sure that they haven't made a mistake!!
2007-10-08 21:39:06 · answer #4 · answered by 24Special 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
because not every jailable offense warrants the death penalty. not to mention that not every state has a death penalty.
2007-10-08 21:32:19 · answer #5 · answered by andy h. 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the overcrowding is in the 10's of thousands are you suggesting we do a quick purge of a few really rotten ones and air the place out a little?
2007-10-08 21:31:36 · answer #6 · answered by Will 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋