Reply #37: Recall the death penalty situation in Illinois [View All]

This from the Congressional Record by Senator Fiengold:

In Illinois, since 1973, 13 innocent people have been freed from death row in the time that 12 were executed. Governor George Ryan, a supporter of the death penalty, has done two things in response: He has effectively imposed a moratorium on executions...

Given the error rate in capital offenses where the State supposedly is extraordinarily careful to get it right, what do you suppose the error rate is for lesser offenses?

I imagine many inmates are erroneously imprisoned. Further, most of these come from economically disadvantaged classes where they can't afford to sufficiently defend themselves. Meanwhile, law enforcement and the criminal justice system blindly feeds the beast.

Also, I assume you are aware that the United States, the so-called "land of the free", now imprisons more of its citizens than any other nation on earth -- more than Russia, more than China, more than any number of totalitarian nation on the face of the globe? (We lead whether looking at it on a per capita basis or the absolute numbers.) You are aware, also, that security and prisons are among our fastest growing industries?

I mean nothing else than we should not be so glib about "inmates". There but for the grace of god...

On edit: Fogot to add the link, http://www.senate.gov/~feingold/speeches/senfloor/moratoriuminroduction.html