Kids On Death Row Essay Research Paper

Childs On Death Row Essay, Research Paper

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Even though they are merely childs, should they be tried as grownups? The United States Supreme Court has ruled that the executing of kids every bit immature as 16 is non barbarous and unusual penalty. Out of 38 provinces with the decease punishment, 13 have set the minimal age for decease at 18 ; four provinces set the lower limit at 17 ; nine set the minimal age at 16 ; twelve have no minimal age specified. In 1996, prosecuting officers in the province of Mississippi sought the decease punishment for juveniles every bit immature as 13 old ages of age ( 1998, February 17 ) . In 1999, a Texas legislator announced his program to take down the province & # 8217 ; s minimal age to eleven. The youngest individual killed since World War II in the United States was George Stinny, a 14 year-old black male child. George Stinny was so little that when he was being executed his mask fell off.

Some argue that kids mature plenty to slay are mature plenty to be punished for it. The decease punishment is normally the last option for justness. Miriam Shehane, president of Victims of Crime and Leniency says, & # 8220 ; I think when my childs were 15 or 16 they knew better than to kill someone. & # 8221 ; A victims & # 8217 ; -rights motion based in Montgomery, Alabama says, & # 8220 ; If person does adult offense, they are moving as grownups, and they have to take duty & # 8221 ; ( 1998, May 3 ) . Shehane contends that capital penalty is non merely for those with long bequests of criminalism but besides for anyone, teens included, who commits singularly hideous offenses. Republican Governor Pete Wilson of California has suggested that 14 year-olds should be eligible for the decease punishment. The spokesman for Wilson, Sean Walsh, explained why Wilson was proposing this. Walsh thought that packs in California frequently use minor gunmans because the packs know that, if the gunmans are caught, they will non be capable to capital penalty. Lowering the minimal age, he argues, would alter that pattern. In Texas, Pitts is suggesting a five point program where he wants childs every bit immature as 10-years-old to be certified to stand test as grownups. He wants deciding condemning eliminated when offenses are pre-mediated. The program allows juveniles to be sentenced to life without word ( 1998, May 3 ) .

Presently, 74 juveniles wrongdoers are waiting to be executed on America & # 8217 ; s decease rows. Since 1990, merely six states have executed people for offenses they committed as childs: Iran, Yemen, Pakistan, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and the United States ( 1998, February 17 ) . The United States has executed more kids than the other five states combined. On norm, for every seven people executed, one individual is found guiltless. For illustration, Shareef Cousin was convicted on false testimony. The eyewitness was non able to place the liquidator, but the twenty-four hours of the test she was & # 8220 ; 100 per centum, perfectly certain & # 8221 ; that Shareef was the liquidator ( 1999, February 8 ) . By happenstance, the testimony given by the eyewitness the twenty-four hours of the slaying and three yearss subsequently was lost. In those testimonies, she told the constabulary that she could non see the liquidators & # 8217 ; face. Every twelvemonth, four J

uveniles are wrongly accused. Childs should be given a 2nd opportunity guilty or non guilty.

By puting these childs in boot cantonment, they could larn how to be more disciplined and besides be a better individual. This particular cantonment would be for the capital offense childs. Three old ages would be the minimal clip and the upper limit is whatever the justice decides. After boot cantonment, occupation preparation will happen and a occupation will be assigned to them. They will non be able to go forth until they are prepared mentally. Besides, they will hold an optional category that will assist them spiritually. The category would be a Bible survey group. This category session will take topographic point one time a hebdomad and there will ever be person that could assist the child in his or her clip of demand. Another manner of work outing this job is non by take downing the capital penalty footings but by holding good prepared counsellors. These counsellors will seek to or possibly even halt the job before it occurs.

Throughout all this information, the hardest thing to understand is the age factor. Why would person desire to take down the minimal age for the decease punishment to eleven? These are non merely human existences, but they are besides childs. Together, the Christians should support these childs. Life might non of been easy for some of them. Therefore, a assisting manus must be given. It doesn & # 8217 ; t affair if the individual is black, white, Chinese, or even Hispanic ; the violent deaths must halt.

Work Cited

Louisiana. National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Death Row Kids 17 February 1998. 1 Jan. 1999 hypertext transfer protocol: //www.igc.org./ncadp/drkids.html

Louisiana. National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Fact Sheet 17 February 1998. 1 Jan. 1999 hypertext transfer protocol: //www.igc.org.//ncadp/fact3.html

Louisiana. National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Justice for Shareef 8 February 1998. 10 Feb. 1999 hypertext transfer protocol: //www.shareef-cousin.com/

Louisiana. National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Stat Sheet 19 May 1998. 1 Jan. 1998 hypertext transfer protocol: //www.igc.org./ncadp/stats.html

Louisiana. Say No To Kids Death 3 May 1998. 1 Jan. 1999 hypertext transfer protocol: //home.c2i.net/sissel.norway/juveniles.html

Megivern, James J. & # 8220 ; The Death Penalty. & # 8221 ; Historical and Theological Survey New York 1997.

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