Student Name ENG101 Date Annotated Bibliography Costanzo, Mark. Capital Punishment Encourages the Taking of Life. Does Capital Punishment Deter Crime?. Ed. Roman Espejo. At Issue Series. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. 32-35. In this article, the author tries to argue that capital punishment is not a deterrent of crime; instead, it is an encouragement to take another s life. He believes that the death penalty is telling a salient lesson which is, It is acceptable to take the life of someone who has committed an egregious wrong against you (32). Besides, he suggests that the execution may encourage people to commit murder. Mark Costanzo is a professor of psychology at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, and the author of Just Revenge. Therefore, his credentials make this article credible considering the psychology of brutalization on this issue. Although this article seems to be reliable, I personally think that it is a weak argument. On the other hand, it is a good argument for those who support the idea that capital punishment saves lives. Fennelly, Carol. The Death Penalty Is Only about Revenge. The Death Penalty. Ed. Harley R. Mitchell. Contemporary Issues Companion Series. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2001. 70-71. In this article, Fennelly approaches the death penalty from a Christian viewpoint, explaining that the gospel s emphasis on forgiveness should lead Christians to work for the redemption of criminals.
Fennelly is a frequent contributor to Sojourners, a Christian periodical. Although she is a Christian, her opinion does not represent the whole Christian view on the death penalty. This article is still valuable to understand this possible religious view. However, it may not give good evidence for my research this time. Jost, Kenneth. "Death Penalty Controversies." CQ Researcher 15.33 (2005): 785-808. CQ Researcher Online. CQ Press. Harper College Library, Palatine, IL. 5 Apr. 2009 http://library.cqpress.com. In this article, Jost discusses the execution of innocent people considering the advancements in DNA testing in recent years and its fairness. Jost is an adjunct professor of Law at Georgetown University. He is also Supreme Court editor of CQ Press and associate editor of CQ Researcher. It is a credible reference for the important cases or key events which took place between 2000 and 2005. It provides sufficient evidence on the Supreme Court and High Court rulings over death penalty cases. ---. "Rethinking the Death Penalty." CQ Researcher 11.40 (2001): 945-968. CQ Researcher Online. CQ Press. William Rainey Harper College Library, Palatine, IL. 5 April 2009. http://library.cqpress.com. In this article, the author is wondering whether it is unconstitutional to execute mentally retarded offenders. The author implies that critics often use the frequent reversal of the death penalty or conviction as evidence of the flaws in the trial and appellate
procedures in death penalty cases. Overall, he takes the side against the death penalty concerning those possible innocent victims. Jost is an adjunct professor of Law at Georgetown University. He is also Supreme Court editor of CQ Press and associate editor of CQ Researcher. It is another reliable source about how innocent people may be executed under our current legal system. And, it provides sufficient information about the constitutionality of the death penalty in the 1990s. Mantel, Barbara. "Public Defenders." CQ Researcher 18.15 (2008): 337-360. CQ Researcher Online. CQ Press. William Harper College Library, Palatine, IL. 7 April 2009. http://library.cqpress.com. In her article, Mantel argues that indigent defendants do not receive adequate legal representation in the US, which leads to miscarriages of justice. She provides statistics and cases proving that innocent victims have been wrongfully convicted. Barbara Mantel is a freelance writer in New York City whose work has appeared in The New York Times, the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology and MAMM Magazine. She holds a B.A. in history and economics from the University of Virginia and an M.A. in economics from Northwestern University. This is a useful reference for cases about wrongful conviction. This may provide evidence showing the flaws in the legal system. Pataki, George. Ensuring Justice with the Death Penalty. The Death Penalty. Ed. Harley R. Mitchell. Contemporary Issues Companion Series. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2001. 60-62.
In this article, Pataki contends that the death penalty helps to ensure the application of laws by giving the government a means to provide justice for wrongs committed against its people. He also believes that the death penalty sends the ultimate message that those who commit murder are unfit to live among the other members of society. George E. Pataki was the governor of New York who served three consecutive four-year terms from 1995 to 2006. This article explains why he signed a law that reinstated the death penalty in his state. This essay is helpful to understand the reason why the government stands for the death penalty. It is a relevant argument saying the death penalty supports the role of the government, which is to provide justice to the society. Ryan, George. I Must Act. The Death Penalty in America. Ed. Hugo Bedau. New York: Oxford UP, 1997. 218-234. Ryan is an opponent of death penalty. He argues that capital punishment cannot provide justice. Besides, there is a deeply flawed the death penalty system in Illinois with innocent people on death row. Given by editor, this article is the prepared text of the former Governor George Ryan s speech delivered at Northwestern University College of Law on January 11, 2003, announcing his commutation of all of Illinois death sentences. George Ryan was the 39 th Governor of Illinois from 1999 until 2003. In 2000, he issued a moratorium on execution that raised the national debate. However, he was convicted of federal corruption in 2006. This article is a useful and helpful reference for my research paper. The evidence provided supports to Ryan s argument against the death penalty.
Schwarzschild, Henry. Deterrence Cannot Justify Executions. The Death Penalty Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. Bonnie Szumski, Lynn Hall and Susam Bursell. Opposing Viewpoints Series. Minnesota: Greenhaven Press, 1986. 111-114. In this article, Mr. Schwarzschild argues that the deterrence theory is irrelevant because it is uncivilized in theory and unfair and inequitable in practice. The argument is not whether or not the death penalty can deter, but that state-sanctioned executions are immoral and inhumane under any circumstances. Also he believes that it should be recognized as a cruel and unusual punishment. Henry Schwarzschild (1926-1996) was the director of the Capital Punishment Project of the American Civil Liberties Union from 1972 to 1990. He was also considered as a historical opponent of the death penalty. It is helpful to have some evidence showing the death penalty is a cruel and unusual punishment, which is a key point if it violates the Eighth Amendment. So, this article is going to be useful for the research. Stevenson, Bryan. Close to Death: Reflections on Race and Capital Punishment in America. The Death Penalty in America. Ed. Hugo Bedau. New York: Oxford UP, 1997. 76-116. Stevenson argued that capital punishment is unreliable and unfair. It is also shaped by the constraints of poverty, race, geography, and local politics. Bryan Stevenson is the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a private, non-profit organization headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama. He is also a professor at New York University School of Law.
This is a useful resource because it provides the perspective that the legal system of capital punishment is flawed with race discrimination in the United States. "Update: Death Penalty." Issues & Controversies On File. 1 Apr. 2004. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services. William Harper College Library, Palatine, IL. 19 Mar. 2009. http://www.2facts.com. In this article, it briefly summarizes the opinions of both proponents and opponents. It also sums up the hot news about the death penalty between 2000 and 2004. It mainly focuses on the different state governments decisions on capital punishment in those years. It is helpful to have a brief outline of some of the important state decisions in those years. And, it is also a good reference for the overall controversial key events about the death penalty.