To kill or not to kill? California voters to decide who should die for their crimes
Source: The Guardian
To kill or not to kill? California voters to decide who should die for their crimes
The death penalty capital of America shows what is wrong
with death row in California, a broken process whose future
is on the ballot in November
Maria L La Ganga in Riverside, California
Tuesday 9 August 2016 11.00 BST
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Insofar as sentencing goes, the county, east of Los Angeles, was the death penalty capital of America.
The two men and the county where they murdered are exhibit A for what is wrong with the death penalty in California, a broken process whose future is on the ballot in November. That’s when voters – through dueling measures – will face some of the thorniest questions confronting the justice system.
To kill or not to kill? Which murderers, if any, deserve to die for their crimes? Should geography decide who is executed and who is not?
Proposition 62 is the simpler of the two measures before voters. Titled the Justice That Works Act, it would replace the death penalty with life in prison without parole. It would require offenders to work and pay restitution. Its supporters say it would save California taxpayers $150m annually.
Proposition 66, the Death Penalty Reform and Savings Act, would streamline the lengthy appeals process for condemned inmates, expand the pool of attorneys available for appeals, and allow the state to place those on death row in cheaper housing as they await execution. Supporters say it would save “tens of millions of dollars” each year.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/09/california-death-penalty-propositions-62-66-election
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