World Day Against the Death Penalty

Today, Oct. 10, the 22nd World Day Against the Death Penalty, is dedicated to challenging the misconception that the death penalty can make people and communities safer. Fear and despair over violence and crime rates can trigger states to look to the death penalty as a solution. The idea that it will deter crime is used as justification, but there is no evidence that the death penalty deters crime more effectively than other sentences and many studies indicate that countries without the death penalty have lower crime rates.

Sharing his story with Sant’Egidio, George Kain says: "In my experience as a law enforcement officer for almost 40 years, sworn to protect victims of violent crime, I once thought that the death penalty was a just punishment and would help murder victims’ family members, and would protect future potential victims from the horrible consequences of losing a loved one. I also thought it would bring peace to those who were victims of murder. I was wrong! As I continued my journey for answers, I learned many very important truths about the death penalty. Please allow me to share two of those realities here: 1. The death penalty creates more victims than it helps. This is because everyone involved in the death penalty process is traumatized. […] 2. The death penalty does not prevent future murders and is not a deterrent to murder. In the United States, states that have a death penalty have higher rates of murder than states that don’t have a death penalty. Also, more police officers are murdered in states that have a death penalty than those that don’t. I had always thought that having a death penalty would help to keep me safe, because a potential murderer would think twice about killing a police officer in a state that had a death penalty. Again, it just doesn’t work that way."

At least 27,687 people are known to be under a sentence of death around the world.

112 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes.

9 countries have abolished the death penalty for common law crimes.

23 countries with the death penalty have not carried out any executions for many years.

55 countries execute people.

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