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Article: Should the death penalty be abolished? Capital punishment is on the books in 37 states, and in the federal courts.(DEBATE)
- Article from:
- New York Times Upfront
- Article date:
- December 10, 2007
- Author:
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YES When the United States was founded more than two centuries ago, prisons were a rarity. But capital punishment was commonplace in the 13 Colonies, as well as in England and across Europe.
Today, almost two thirds of the world's countries, including virtually all of Europe, have abolished the death penalty. It is time for the U.S. to follow this trend: The death penalty is a fundamentally flawed public policy that has outlived any usefulness it may have once had.
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Since 1976, at least 124 people have been freed from death row after evidence of their innocence emerged, proving that the system is prone to human error.
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