For the first time in 16 years, three convicted inmates are set to be put to death on the same day in the United States. The executions are scheduled for Thursday, August 13, in Tennessee, Alabama and Oklahoma.
This is set against the backdrop of a nation that generally believes the death penalty is morally justified for those convicted of murder, but less certain about whether there are safeguards in place to prevent innocent people from being put to death.
A significant majority of U.S. respondents to a recent Pew Research Center survey believe the death penalty is morally justified for those who have committed murder. Yet much fewer believe the punishment seriously deters people from committing serious crimes.
The survey, taken in July of this year, found that two-thirds of respondents favor using the death penalty as a consequence for murder. By contrast, 28% believe the death penalty is morally wrong, even for those convicted of murder. These rates have remained relatively consistent since 2019.
There is a partisan divide, with 84% of Republicans and 51% of Democrats supporting the death penalty for those convicted of murder.
A far wider gap exists among the two major political parties on the issue of racial disparities in death penalty sentences. When asked whether people labeled as white or Black are equally likely to be sentenced to the death penalty, 77% of Republicans said they were. Less than a quarter (23%) of Democrats agreed.
There is a little more agreement, however, on the lack of safeguards in place to ensure that no innocent person will be put to death. Only a quarter (25%) of respondents believe there are safeguards in place, with 14% of Democrats and 38% of Republicans agreeing.
When asked whether the death penalty serves as a deterrent for people committing serious crimes, 39% believe it does, with 59% saying it does not.
More information on the Pew study can be found here.
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Senior Editor at Good Faith Media.