Quick History
The Death Penalty is a inhumane way of punishing people which has existed for centuries. From the 18 Century B.C., the Code of King Hammurabi established the death penalty legally. As time progressed, more governments added the death penalty as a punishment for crimes, such as the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Around the 10th century, Britain started to incorporate executions as punishments for crimes. As Britain started to migrate to the Americas, they influenced the concept of the Death Penalty in the United States. The first person to be a victim of the Death Penalty was in our state, Virginia, in 1608. Virginia, the first state to use capital punishment, also has a higher percentage of prisoners on death-row than any other state. Furthermore, it has executed more people than any other state in the U.S., 113 people since 1976. Overall, since 1608, Virginia has executed nearly 1400 people. However, Virginia has not executed a person since 2017.
Immorality
Capital punishment overall should not have a place in criminal reform. It’s an inhumane process of punishing someone and does not provide justice for the victims. It instead wastes resources and money for the courts, juries, and the whole judicial process. Instead of spending money to execute someone, that budget can be used to prevent the crimes ahead of time, such as education. Furthermore, capital punishment such as the Death Penalty, is often times applied to random people and is unfair because it depends on their wealth, race, and the area it took place.
Abolition in Virginia
This past week, Virginia passed through their legislation to abolish the death penalty in their state. This would make our state the 23rd to do so and the first Southern state. Our governor, Ralph Northam, is expected to sign into law. This is great news, as our state continues to make progress to make sure our people are treated fairly and our communities are kept safe. From our past history, Virginia is seen as the leader in deaths through capital punishment. This will set an example for other states to abolish the Death Penalty, as if we can do it, others can too. The punishment is outdated and oftentimes puts the life on the line for people who might have been falsely accused. The point of criminal reform is to make sure the crime they committed never occurs again. Ending a life is a shortcut through this system, instead, resources should be maneuvered to educating criminals about how to improve their life. At the end of the day, if states keep killing people, there is no end to it and it will go on for centuries in the future.
Progress
What was done in Virginia, can be done with through progress. At MFOL Ashburn it’s our duty to take action through our non-profit organization to help your voice be heard. If you are interested in making a difference, pushing key laws to be passed, and promote reformation, join MFOL Ashburn today!
How to join MFOL Ashburn: https://linktr.ee/mfolashburn
Sources:
https://apnews.com/article/virginia-death-penalty-repeal-governor- c98c16a996037a4d1e1d497787b7e6f1
https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/facts-and-research/history-of-the-death-penalty
https://www.aclu.org/other/case-against-death-penalty
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