In 2016 and 2017, Republicans introduced one-third of all death penalty repeal bills in state legislatures across the country.
With a 60% decrease in death penalty sentences since 1999 and an execution rate down 45% since that same time, it’s been apparent that the death penalty is dying in the United States for quite some time. What hasn’t been so apparent, however, is the Right’s responsibility for this trend.
Considering the nation’s death penalty system is plagued with issues of ineffective legal counsel, geographical bias, innocence, racial discrimination, and astronomical costs, it’s no wonder conservatives are deciding that this practice does not align with their values.
Not only that, but there is ample proof that the death penalty does not act as a deterrent. In fact, regions of the country who do not utilize their death penalty as often, such as the Northeast, have very low homicide rates, while areas that use the death penalty the most, like the South, continue to see the highest rates of violent crime.
When you consider the vast amounts of money being spent on the death penalty, at least $2 million per case above the costs of sentencing someone to life in prison without parole, you have to examine the opportunity costs that go along with that as well. As the country spends millions of dollars to implement the strictest penalty for a cherry-picked number of offenders, the majority of homicides are never even cleared (50%). Letting the majority of offenders get away with their crimes is not a tough on crime system, it’s a foolish system that fails to make our communities safer.
For these reasons and more, conservatives are leading the way in repealing death penalty systems across the country. We’re thrilled to see this trend emerging, and we will continue to stand with the growing number of principled leaders and constituents who are working towards a more just system that truly limits government, values life, and ensures our tax dollars are used effectively.