After reading Governor Ryan’s speech, I believe that his decision to abolish the death penalty in Illinois was a right and just. Governor Ryan made the right decision to abolish the death penalty and I support his decision to take any and all inmates off of death row. I don't believe the death penalty is just for many reasons; there is always a chance that the person being convicted is innocent. Ryan mentioned that many convicts who were wrongfully accused and put on death row, were young adults and teens. In addition, I believe that the death penalty is hypocritical. Killing a killer is unjust. The death sentence is no doubt a cruel and unusual punishment that should be illegal in all 50 of the United States. “ In none of the states where the death penalty has already been abolished has the homicide rate increased.” (Gov. Ryan) The death penalty doesn’t increases homicide rates and it doesn’t decrease homicide rates therefore it is a useless punishment.
Ryan also made the argument whether or not a jury should decide if somebody should live or die? “In Illinois last year we had 1,000 murders; only 2 percent of that 1,000 were sentenced to death.” Where is the fairness and equality in that? The death penalty in Illinois is not sentenced fairly. Ryan even questioned, “Who really has the right to sentence one to death?”
You are five times more likely to get a death sentence for first-degree murder in the rural area of Illinois than you are in Cook County. Where is the justice and fairness in that - where is the proportionality?” Ryan shows that there is a geographical disparity with capital punishment in Illinois and the system is flawed. Many people think that capital punishment is the worst possible punishment a person can receive. Keeping somebody in prison for life without parole would be a worse punishment than ending their life. Ryan stated, “Some inmates on death row don't want a sentence of life without parole. Danny Edwards wrote me and told me not to do him any favors because he didn't want to face a prospect of a life in prison without parole. They will be confined in a cell that is about 5-feet-by-12 feet, usually double-bunked. Our prisons have no air conditioning, except at our supermax facility where inmates are kept in their cell 23 hours a day. They can think about their crimes.” Life without parole has been described as “worse than death.”
The last reason I want to address regarding the elimination of the death penalty is, the too many innocent people that have been put on death row. How, in our day and age as a sophisticated and advanced society can a person who is threatened to make false confessions be sentenced to death? The death penalty malleable therefore it is a good thing it has been eliminated. How can we say our justice system is just if over 20 people have been proven innocent after being death row for years?
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