The failure of the death penalty

Ricky Javon Gray was given two death sentences yesterday as well as three counts of life without parole. To those that don’t recognize the name, Gray is the New Year’s Day killer of the Harvey family, a crime that sent shock waves through the entire Richmond community. The verdict was not surprising. However, I can’t help but ask if this case of the death penalty working as intended doesn’t still underscore one of the many reasons state-sponsored execution should be abolished.

Before I continue, make no mistake. I feel Gray is a man without humanity and easily one of the most deserving convicts of the death penalty. But looking at his court statements, it is apparent the thought of dying for his crimes never crossed his mind. And a deterrent can only deter when criminals actually consider the consequences.

In fact, there has not been a single credible study that has ever established the death penalty as any more of a deterrent than life in prison. Moreover, numerous studies have actually shown that countries with the death penalty have a higher violent crime rate. While this could obviously be attributed to a number of factors, countries that have done away with a death penalty have routinely seen violent crimes decrease. Canada has seen a 40 percent decrease in its murder rate since abolishing capital punishment in 1976.

Perhaps even more disheartening is the fact that where you are convicted, depending on your race, gender and socio-economic status, you are more likely to be tried as well as convicted of the death penalty. And if you can’t afford a lawyer, your chances of having your crime be considered for capital punishment skyrocket: 95 percent of defendants charged with the death penalty have to rely on overworked court-appointed attorneys.

So if the death penalty has never been found to be an established deterrent (despite extensive study, I might add), and has been established to be innately discriminatory, what advantages does it bring? Certainly not economic ones. It actually costs more money for the state and the individuals involved to try and execute a criminal than it does to put them in jail for life without parole. One of the more conservative figures was a study by Indiana’s state government, which found the total cost of the death penalty is 38 percent more than the average cost of life imprisonment. In states such as New York and California, the percentage is much higher.

As I said at the beginning, Gray is guilty. His crime was heinous, and there is nothing to excuse that. But to remember the Harveys by wasting money on his death is foolish. Those funds would be better spent investing in Richmond’s police force and education system, helping to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.