This assignment is designed to recognize and evaluate your understanding of the material covered in this module. Your work will be assessed for demonstrated critical thinking, analytical and communication skills. Read the instructions carefully and present your response in a clear and organized fashion. For grading criteria, please consult the rubric for this assignment.
Questions
What historical and statistical factors suggest racial discrimination in the administration of the death penalty in this country? What reform has been instituted at the federal level to try to combat racial discrimination in the imposition of the death penalty? Has it been effective?
What factors other than race might account for the disparity in the number of persons of color executed as compared with their representation in the population?
If it is true that the death penalty is administered discriminatorily across the board, does this make it unconstitutional, as the appellants argued in Kemp? Are attempts to administer it without bias doomed to failure, as Justice Blackmun suggested in 1994? Or, should defendants have to show that racial factors influenced the decision in their particular cases, as the Supreme Court’s majority ruled in Kemp?
What remedies do you see possible to ensure the fair administration of the death penalty without racial bias?
You should address these questions in a paper of at least 1,000 words, relying primarily on the readings and other materials assigned in this module, as well as through academic peer-reviewed journal articles; you will not receive credit without demonstrating that you have read and understood the material assigned. You may include independent sources. All information should be documented in APA style.
Additional Instructions and Resources for Written Assignments
Your written assignment is intended to test your understanding of important concepts and to sharpen your intellectual skills of analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and application. The intent of the written assignment is to provide an opportunity to more fully describe, explain, and analyze the books and other sources. Be sure to cite any and all sources correctly so that your academic integrity is not called into question. Throughout this course, these resources will enable you to successfully complete written assignments:
Sources to be used:
Alexander, M., & West, C. (2020). The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. The New Press.