To what extent was the ‘Death Penalty’ policy beneficial for the USA in the last 20 years?

The death penalty is one of the most debatable topics among researchers, which aims to minimize the violent crime rate by executing criminals in the 21st century in the USA. The reason is that although 1500+ people have been executed in the USA since 1970, the crime rates have not decreased significantly. It raises the question about its effeсtiveness to deter crime and broader social consequences. Nowadays, some states of the USA have legalized capital punishment, while others still assume this practice as disadvantageous in the last 20 years. Since the offense rate increases every day, there must be a solution to decrease violence among the individuals.

This research analyzes whether it is beneficial for the U.S. to implement the death penalty in four central dimensions: the risk of wrongful execution, financial costs, racial and socioeconomic inequality and deterrence effects. The method, which will be used in this paper, is literature review and analysis of existing data. The findings suggest that capital punishment violates human rights, imposes financial hardships on the state and does not deter crime rates. The paper concludes with the recommendations for alternative solutions, such as investing in rehabilitation and crime prevention programs.

Additionally, this research demonstrates how the death penalty reflects structural problems in the U.S. criminal justice system. It illustrates that racial discrimination, socioeconomic biases and wrongful convictions occur as recurring patterns in prosecutorial decisions. By synthesizing existing data, research empirical evidence and theoretical perspectives, this paper highlights the importance of shift toward humane and economically beneficial solutions.