Amnesty International recorded over one thousand death sentences in fifty-four countries in 2020. This is a decrease of 36% from 2019. Over 28,000 people are believed to be under the sentence of death globally. In the United States, state executions have declined with concerns over human rights. Twenty-two states have abolished the death penalty, but the federal government under Donald Trump resumed executions, and the increase in its use was quite significant. Does the death penalty have a future in the United States? Doug Becker speaks with Frank R. Baumgartner, Lee Kovarsky and Jenny-Brooke Condon.
Frank R. Baumgartner is a Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He is an expert in criminal justice issues and is the co-author of The Decline of the Death Penalty and the Discovery of Innocence.
Lee Kovarsky is a Professor of Law at the University of Texas, Austin. He is an expert in the death penalty and habeas corpus.
Jenny-Brooke Condon is a Professor of Law at Seton Hall Law School. She is an expert in human rights and prisoners rights.
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Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in this discussion reflect the views of the guests and not necessarily the views of The Big Q.
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