Annotated Bibliography Jailya Wooden Walden University D Psy

2annotated Bibliographyjailya Woodenwalden Universitydpsy 8700january

Identify the core assignment: creating an annotated bibliography based on provided sources related to the death penalty, including summaries and evaluations of each source.

Summarize the legal, ethical, social, and empirical aspects of the death penalty discussed in various scholarly articles, exploring its application, public support, deterrence effect, racial and gender biases, wrongful convictions, impact on families, and recent trends in abolition and reform efforts. Incorporate credible references and cite them appropriately in APA style, weaving in-text citations throughout the narrative to support critical analysis. The paper should be approximately 1000 words, organized into an introduction, body, and conclusion, and include at least 10 scholarly references.

Paper For Above instruction

The death penalty remains one of the most contentious issues within the criminal justice system, provoking debates around its ethical justification, efficacy as a deterrent, racial and socioeconomic biases, wrongful convictions, and evolving public opinion. The scholarly articles reviewed provide a comprehensive overview of these critical facets, illustrating the complexity of implementing and reforming capital punishment policies in the United States.

Desai and Garrett (2018) offer a foundational understanding of the current state of the death penalty in the U.S., emphasizing its legal, empirical, and ethical dimensions. They argue that despite decades of application, the death penalty's deterrent effect is unsubstantiated by empirical data, and its ethical implications remain highly controversial, especially regarding its application in a racially biased manner. The authors advocate for reform, highlighting the Supreme Court's role in shaping policy and the societal impacts of capital punishment, such as community trauma and moral debates surrounding state-sanctioned killing.

Building on this, Godcharles et al. (2019) explore the potential of empathy as a psychological tool to diminish support for the death penalty, particularly addressing racial and gender disparities. Their research with undergraduate students reveals that higher empathy levels correlate with lower support for capital punishment, suggesting that fostering empathy could be a strategic avenue for policymakers seeking to reduce public backing for the death penalty. This psychological approach underscores the importance of addressing underlying social biases and emotional responses to reform the system.

Similarly, Kastellec's (2021) analysis highlights the racial dynamics influencing judicial outcomes in death penalty cases. His examination of appellate court data uncovers that the race of both defendants and judges significantly affects sentencing likelihood, with Black judges and panels decreasing the probability of death sentences, particularly when the defendant is Black. The findings point to systemic racial biases embedded within the judicial process, raising concerns about fairness, equality, and the legitimacy of capital punishment as administered in diverse societies.

In terms of the human toll, Sharp (2005) offers a poignant account of the social and psychological impacts of the death penalty on the families of the accused. His research emphasizes the profound grief, social stigma, and economic hardships faced by these families, often overlooked in public debates focused solely on legality and morality. Understanding these human costs is vital for a holistic assessment of the death penalty's justice and its societal ramifications.

Wu (2022) investigates the influence of wrongful convictions on public opinion, asserting that increased awareness of such errors correlates with decreased support for capital punishment. His survey-based study underscores that transparency and error correction are crucial components in shaping attitudes toward the death penalty, emphasizing the importance of forensic reforms, independent reviews, and wrongful conviction compensation programs in fostering public trust and reducing support for irreversible punishments.

In examining recent trends, Smith (2022) notes a decline in support for the death penalty, with fewer states enacting or maintaining capital punishment statutes. His report contextualizes this shift within broader societal changes, such as increasing abolitionist movements and evolving public attitudes. Smith illustrates how high-profile cases and declining execution rates reflect a paradigm shift, perhaps signaling a future trajectory toward widespread abolition or significant reform.

From a theoretical perspective, Cloninger (1992) critically assesses the deterrence hypothesis, arguing that the empirical evidence does not support a conclusive link between capital punishment and reduced homicide rates. His portfolio approach suggests that many social factors influence crime rates, and the death penalty alone is insufficient to produce a deterrent effect. This challenges the notion that severe punishments effectively prevent violent crimes, calling for alternative crime reduction strategies.

Complementing this evaluation, Decker and Kohfeld (1990) perform a time-series analysis across the most active execution states, finding no significant decrease in homicide rates attributable to capital punishment. Their findings reinforce the argument that the death penalty is largely ineffective as a deterrent and should be reconsidered as a crime prevention tool, shifting focus toward social and economic interventions.

Adding a specific geographic and procedural focus, Sorensen and Pilgrim (2006) examine the case of Texas, a leading state in implementing the death penalty. Their work highlights ongoing controversies, such as racial bias, wrongful executions, and procedural issues linked to lethal injections. They argue that these systemic concerns threaten the legitimacy of capital punishment, urging for transparency and reform in execution practices.

Serrano (2020) provides insights into the sentencing of young adults, emphasizing developmental psychology and its implications for justice. His analysis reveals that the cognitive immaturity of offenders aged 18-25 complicates predictions about future danger, and reliance solely on age or character evidence risks violating constitutional protections. The author advocates for waiting until offenders reach full legal adulthood before imposing capital punishment, aligning with evolving Supreme Court standards and neurodevelopmental research.

Collectively, these scholarly works paint a nuanced picture of the death penalty's multifaceted impact, from social biases and psychological considerations to empirical deterrence data and recent legislative trends. While public support wanes and procedural flaws become more apparent, debates about morality, fairness, and efficacy continue to shape reforms aimed at abolishing or limiting capital punishment. Future policy must reckon with these complexities, emphasizing justice, error correction, and societal values.

References

  • Cloninger, D. O. (1992). Capital punishment and deterrence: a portfolio approach. Applied Economics, 24(6), 793–804.
  • Decker, S. H., & Kohfeld, C. W. (1990). The deterrent effect of capital punishment in the five most active execution states: A time series analysis. Criminal Justice Review, 15(2), 165–181.
  • Desai, A., & Garrett, B. L. (2018). The state of the death penalty. Notre Dame Law Review, 94(4), 1255–1281.
  • Godcharles, B. D., Rad, J. D., Heide, K. M., Cochran, J. K., & Solomon, E. P. (2019). Can empathy close the racial divide and gender gap in death penalty support? Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 37(1), 16–37.
  • Kastellec, J. P. (2021). Race, context, and judging on the courts of appeals: Race-based panel effects in death penalty cases. Justice System Journal, 42(3-4), 228–247.
  • Serrano, B. (2020). Stuck between growing up and grown up: Delaying the sentencing phase for young adults facing capital punishment in Texas. Texas Tech Law Review, 53, 843–870.
  • Sharp, S. F. (2005). Hidden victims: The effects of the death penalty on families of the accused. Rutgers University Press.
  • Sorensen, J., & Pilgrim, R. L. (2006). Lethal injection: Capital punishment in Texas during the modern era. University of Texas Press.
  • Smith, P. (2022). Is the death penalty on the way out? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com
  • Wu, S. (2022). The effect of wrongful conviction rate on death penalty support: A research note. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 18(4), 123–140.

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