Conclusion

Vincent Southerland (assistant counsel in the NAACP Legal Defense Fund's criminal justice practice and a former public defender) on the Death Penalty

The main flaws present within the death penalty system (especially in the US) spur from it’s largely inconsistent nature. What is embodied within this inconsistency is the varying length, lack of clarity, and (what comes as a result of the rest) lack of support given to those who become entangled in its proceedings. It unfairly leaves both families and prisoners in the dark about the future for them and significant others on the rows. Tied to this, without the guarantee of government support in their journey, individuals are left with no more answers than they started with, and are expected to deal with such dire circumstances on their own. All of this is then amplified by the great amount of time in which all of this takes place, and all of the unforeseen changes that may happen within this time, unique to every single case (inconsistency). All of this subjects prisoners and families to unfair variations on death row, not allowing them to settle and dealing out further harm. These experiences, from those who we need most to change things in a truthful way, are then too often marginalized by the power of more prevalent groups. Groups who really just continue a great debate that runs off of broad arguments that don’t do enough to embody the voices of those who actually have experienced Death Row and how it’s flawed systematically rather than just logistically. We need to learn from countries like Singapore, who’s system at least benefits prisoners and their families in a more effective way, and eliminates the inconsistency that isn’t only prevalent from case to case, but around the world in Death Penalty execution. The victim’s voices show where the most key, pressing flaws are, but they aren’t currently being recognized enough.