I am, and always will be against the death penalty, especially of those who are mentally ill.
More than a third of the execution attempts in 2022 were mishandled. I find that the seven visibly botched executions that took place in three states as shocking. Once again, executions were concentrated in the South. Texas and Oklahoma each executed five inmates, while Alabama put two inmates to death and Mississippi executed one. Arizona executed three inmates in 2022, while Missouri executed two. The National Association of Mental Health has estimated that five to ten percent of those on death row have serious mental illness.
The execution of the insane violates the U.S. Constitution.
Constitutional protections for those with other forms of mental illness are minimal, however, dozens of prisoners have been executed despite suffering from serious mental illness.
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Two of the three persons executed in Arizona had serious mental problems. I can only hope that Arizona will see the light and do way with the death penalty.
Tom McGorray
Northwest side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
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