Justice Demands Integrity

The death sentence is not a punishment, but an irreversible penalty that should never be used, regardless of circumstance. I began to wonder whether this is just an American phenomenon, or if it is particularly localized in certain states. Upon doing a little bit of research, I realized that Florida has the second highest death row in all of the United States. This cannot be a coincidence. As well, over 80% of executions in the U.S. take place in the southern states. [http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/FactSheet.pdf].

What is the difference between multiple life sentences and death row? Simply that one is more immediate than the other. The problem with that instant gratification is that there is always the possibility that the convict was found to be wrongfully guilty. With the media frenzy that has follows such high profile cases as these, the reality of the case often gets blurred and blown out of proportion, and subsequently impairs the judgment of everyone from onlookers, lawyers, prosecutors, jurors and even judges.

The death penalty may offer a seemingly instantaneous solution to the problem, but at what cost? Integrity.