HOW TO THINK ABOUT IT

Mixed picture? While President Donald Trump has long cast himself as tough on crime, with his party typically rushing to publicly back his policies, the death penalty isn’t strictly a Blue vs. Red issue. For instance, while 79 percent of Republicans support capital punishment, compared to 38 percent of Democrats, GOP lawmakers in at least a half-dozen states have sponsored bills this year to end the practice. But expect a death penalty focus at future Trump rallies as the president strives to fire up his base, an example of his take-no-prisoners approach. In the past, Trump’s even floated the notion of executing drug traffickers — “big pushers, the ones who are really killing people,” he said in a 2018 appeal to communities devastated by the opioid crisis.

Global decline. According to watchdog Amnesty International, executions around the world fell 31 percent last year. Excluding China, which doesn’t share its data, only four countries — Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam — accounted for 78 percent of all death penalties carried out. And while several countries, like Sudan, Thailand and Taiwan resumed executions last year, top executioners Iran and Iraq more than halved their instances of capital punishment. Meanwhile, authorities in 29 countries offered commutations and pardons. Still, more than 19,300 prisoners around the world remained sentenced to death at the end of 2018.

...but not everywhere. Japan and Singapore, both wealthy countries, continue meting out capital punishment despite facing pressure campaigns. The Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte also appears eager to buck the global trend: Ending a moratorium introduced in 2006 has been his ambition for years, and now that his allies control Congress, he may well succeed. Among other high-profile Filipino proponents is champion boxer-turned-lawmaker Manny Pacquiao, who just this week said he’s in favor of death by firing squad. First in line, if Duterte gets his way, would be those convicted of drug dealing and corruption.

WHAT TO READ

AG Barr Is Right to Resume Death Penalty for Vicious Killers by Robert Blecker on Fox News
“During my visits, the daily lives of lifers in prison — spared the death they arguably deserved — appalled me. Inside maximum security prisons, those sentenced to life without parole form friendships, play ball, eat ice cream and watch movies — simple pleasures their victims will never enjoy.”

Would You Do ‘Execution Service’? by Molly Fosco on OZY
“Let’s raise the stakes for jurors who condemn defendants to death. Randomly selected as they were for jury duty, one of the 12 should be tasked with injecting the deadly cocktail into the inmate they helped condemn. Prosecutors and state legislators who support the death penalty should also share the responsibility.”

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