But knowledge is power. We know that the arguments he made to justify expanding the death penalty are simply false and contradict what we know years of empirical evidence and research have shown.
The president claims that capital punishment is an essential tool for deterring heinous crimes. Extensive studies have repeatedly shown that killing prisoners does not have a deterrent effect and that it actually has a brutalizing effect on the community at large. A three-decade study released in November by the Death Penalty Policy Project found that “after 1,600 executions, the public and police are safer in states that don’t have or have recently abolished the death penalty. And, among the death penalty states, the public and police are safer in states that currently have official moratoria on executions or have rarely executed anyone.”
“This order is the arrogant command of a president who believes, and wants the public to believe, that he is all powerful and can put people to death as he wishes.”
- He claims that capital punishment is for the benefit of American citizens. This is a racist dog whistle. It reinforces the empirical fact that capital punishment is more likely to be used where the victim is white and the accused is not.
- He states that his order will “counteract the politicians and judges who subvert the law by obstructing and preventing” executions. This blatant authoritarian claim falsely elevates the executive branch as superior to the legislative branch, which represents the will of the people, and superior to the judicial branch interpreting the law and the Constitution. Neither is the case.
- He disregards states’ rights by ordering the Attorney General to evaluate whether the 37 men whose death sentences were commuted by President Biden could be prosecuted and executed under state law.
Overall, this order is the arrogant command of a president who believes, and wants the public to believe, that he is all-powerful and can put people to death as he wishes. He claims the right to decide who dies.
This order has only strengthened our commitment to abolishing state killing. This order is designed to demean and depress our efforts and those of our allies and supporters. We are not deterred; far from it. We are energized and more determined than ever to stand up for human life and dignity.
Thank you for your support. More than ever, we can’t do what we do without you.
Thank you for all you do to end state killing,
Mike Farrell
President
Death Penalty Focus