The Insidious Nature of Capital Punishment

Seeded on Fri May 30, 2008 9:19 AM EDT ()

Capital punishment has corrupted our legal system. In addition to far too many instances of misconduct by police and prosecutors, we see evidence of the insidious nature of the death penalty in cases such as these. Is winning everything?

politics, capital-punishment

Death Penalty is Cruel & Unusual

Seeded on Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:19 AM EDT (New York Times)

The modern death penalty process has divorced society from the violence at the hands of the State. The language of the Court perpetuates the perception that capital punishment is administered humanely.

politics, capital-punishment

Hard Work on Crime

Seeded on Sun Apr 6, 2008 11:00 AM EDT (The Hartford Courant)

Mandatory minimum sentencing policies have contributed to a situation in Connecticut and four other states where more money is allocated to prisons than to higher education.

politics, and, prisons, jails

California prisons rocked by problems

Seeded on Sat Apr 5, 2008 3:15 PM EDT ()

Violence in a couple of prisons is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Crowding, inadequate funding, poor management are only a few of the problems we have created with poor sentencing policies. Mandatory minimums should be eliminated at the first possible opportunity.

politics, prisons-and-jails

U.S. opens probe into Miami-Dade jails

Seeded on Fri Apr 4, 2008 9:10 PM EDT (CNN)

Problems in the juvenile justice system extend far beyond the Texas Youth Commission. The Justice Department is currently suing 11 states for various problems. Lack of funding, crowding, poor management are just a few of the major problems.

us-news, prisons-and-jails

No Consensus on Counting the Innocent

Seeded on Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:46 AM EDT (The New York Times)

The only thing that can be agreed upon is that innocent individuals have been exonerated. The exact number is difficult to determine because of disagreement over the definition. There is no way to accurately determine how many innocent individuals are in prison.

politics, death-penalty, innocence, wrongful-conviction

Wronfully Convicted Set Free after Serving 25 years

Seeded on Fri Mar 21, 2008 10:25 AM EDT (CNN)

Another innocent individual was finally set free after serving 25 years for a crime he did not commit.

world-news, innocence, wrongful-convictions

Over Three in Five Americans Believe in Death Penalty

Seeded on Tue Mar 18, 2008 9:11 AM EDT (Business Wire)

Support for capital punishment continues to decline, while 52 percent don't think that executions are a deterrent. 95 percent believe that innocent people are sometimes convicted of murder.

survey, us-news, capital-punishment, public-attitudes

Georgia Court Refuses New Trial in Death Penalty Case

Seeded on Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:21 PM EDT (The New York Times)

In a split decision, the Georgia Supreme Court refused Monday to allow a new trial for a man sentenced to death for the 1989 murder of a Savannah police officer, despite recantations from seven of nine witnesses who originally testified against him.

death-penalty, world-news, innocence, wrongful-conviction

Reports: 'Disastrous' Iraqi humanitarian crisis

Seeded on Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:45 PM EDT (CNN)

As the war in Iraq reaches its five-year anniversary this week, two of the world's leading humanitarian groups issued extensive reports Monday describing a crisis of huge proportions with little reason for hope

iraq, world-news, humanitarian-crisis

Myths About the Death Penalty - Myth #2 - Innocence

Sat Mar 15, 2008 9:48 PM EDT

This is the second installment in the series on myths about the death penalty. In the first installment, I explored the misunderstanding about the costs of capital punishment. In this installment, I discuss the issue of innocence and wrongful conviction.

Continue reading this entry ...

politics, justice, capital-punishment, innocence, wrongful-conviction, due-process

Prison Nation

Seeded on Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:04 AM EDT (The New York Times)

Persuading public officials to adopt a more rational approach to prison policy is a daunting prospect, not least because building and running jailhouses has become a major industry.

blacks, united-states, opinion, nytimes, editorials, crime-and-criminals, prisons-and-prisoners, hispanic-americans, states-us, sentencing-project

Myths About the Death Penalty - Myth # 1 - Cost

Sat Mar 8, 2008 11:22 AM EST

This post is the first in a series on myths about the death penalty. I plan to present a series of arguments based on the best available research. For more detailed information, I urge you to browse the Death Penalty Information Center at deathpenaltyinfo.org.

Continue reading this entry ...

politics, costs, death-penalty, abolition

Electrocution Is Banned in Last State to Rely on It

Seeded on Sat Feb 9, 2008 9:43 AM EST (The New York Times)

The ruling in Nebraska effectively suspended executions in the only state that relies solely on the once-dominant practice.

us, nebraska, courts, nytimes, capital-punishment, electric-chair

Lawyer Reveals Secret, Toppling Death Sentence

Seeded on Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:03 AM EST (The New York Times)

A lawyer who believed that prosecutors had committed misconduct stayed silent for 10 years due to ethics rules.

us, virginia, ethics, nytimes, capital-punishment, sentences-criminal, decisions-and-verdicts, daryl-atkins, leslie-p-smith

Treating Juveniles as Juveniles

Seeded on Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:01 AM EST (The NHPrimary.com)

Many states modified their laws to allow juveniles to be prosecuted and incarcerated as adults. The research suggests that this policy has been harmful and expensive. N.H. is in the process of reversing this failed policy

politics, juveniles, prisons, punishment, jails

More Than a Steak Dinner

Seeded on Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:14 AM EST (The New York Times)

The Innocence Project has proposed some important reforms that states should use in upgrading their criminal justice system.

texas, opinion, nytimes, innocence-project, editorials, prisons-and-prisoners, dna-deoxyribonucleic-acid

Cruel and Far Too Usual Punishment

Seeded on Mon Jan 7, 2008 9:44 AM EST (The New York Times)

We believe that the death penalty, no matter how it is administered, is unconstitutional and wrong.

kentucky, opinion, nytimes, capital-punishment

China shows caution on executions - Los Angeles Times

Seeded on Sun Jan 6, 2008 12:19 PM EST (The L.A. Times)

Facing pressure before the Olympics, Beijing's policy is to 'kill fewer, kill carefully.' Activists urge more legal reforms.

latimes

15th Dallas County Inmate Since '01 Is Freed by DNA

Seeded on Fri Jan 4, 2008 9:44 AM EST (The New York Times)

Charles Chatman was released after nearly 27 years in prison after a DNA sample recently taken from him did not match the profile from a rape victim's vaginal swab of 1981.

us, nytimes, sex-crimes, prisons-and-prisoners, tests-and-testing, dna-deoxyribonucleic-acid