and where theexperiment took place), there was a total of 202 total death row inmates. Out of the 202, 141 of those were white, fifty-six were black, two wereHispanic and two were of other races. In contrast, in 1999, out of 235death row inmates, 148 were black, seventy were white, fifteen wereHispanic, and two were of other races (State Penalty Info. 6) The sameis true for states like Ohio when in 1999, out of 200 inmates, ninety-ninewere black, ninety-seven were white, one was Hispanic and three were ofother races (8).Does the death penalty deter crime? It has also been argued if the death penalty is a deterrence tocrime. As can be guessed this is one of the most controversial issues ofthe problem, considering that it is the whole support for manysupporters. Executions in the past were usually been done in public. By doingso it was believed that it would deter those witnessing from committingthe crimes of the wrongdoer. Actually, it was such an affair in those daysthat families would make a day of the occasion, having picnics and othertypes of merriment in course before the execution. In fact, it wasprobably the secondary thing on the minds of the participants andwitnesses (Stewart 8-9).Such incidents are evidence enough for anti-death penaltysupporters (abolitionists) that capital punishment doesnt deter crime. They believe that capital crimes are done in moments of passion, whenthe criminal doesnt think rationally, whether about his or her crime, or inthis case, the consequence (Kronenwetter 18-19).But what about those that premeditate their murders? Proof forabolitionists is that other murderers, the ones who plan or premeditatetheir crime, think they are too clever to get caught. Taking this intoconsciousness, the death penalty wont and cannot discourage themeither, because they believe they have escaped penalization of any kindfor their actions. Moreover, Albert Pierrepoint, the famous Britishexecutioner on one occasio...
