EPQ

2017
Should death row be

prohibited?
EXTENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATION

KIMBERLEY MAINPRIZE
SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Contents
Abstract ....................................................................................................................................................1
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................2
What is the death penalty? .....................................................................................................................5
Should the death penalty be legal? .........................................................................................................9
What impact does death row have on the offenders? .........................................................................14
Conclusion ..............................................................................................................................................18
Evaluation ..............................................................................................................................................20
Project activity log .................................................................................................................................33
Reference list .........................................................................................................................................37
Bibliography ...........................................................................................................................................40
Presentation...........................................................................................................................................44
Abstract
The purpose of this project is to identify an explicit opinion over the contentious question, should
death row be prohibited? The elements comprised for this are the conditions, psychological and
physical damaged caused, and the views of the inmates. In addition to this it also delves into the
death penalty, including the history and addressing the issues. However to form a fair, unbiased
opinion over the matter, arguments to reinforce the supporting and opposing sides are explored and
explained. The basis investigated namely is the history, execution methods, botched executions,
reasons punishable by death, the legalization, emotional and physical expense, deterrence,
discrimination, miscarriages of justice, also the views of the law enforcement and from victims
families.
Firstly, it concludes that the death penalty is an inhumane punishment, and that in reality does not
benefit those who require justice. The criminals themselves are also recognized, with evidence
confirming that racial discrimination plays a part in the conviction process, and as a result this can
lead to miscarriages of justice. In addition to this, race also effects the justice for the criminals victim,
as black victims are less valued than white. Consequently if the criminals victim is black, this can lead
them to receive a lesser sentence than if their victim was white. The racial issues raised only
reinforces the lack of respect and vindication the death penalty has. It is noted that there are
conflicting points, such as it being a beneficial tool for police, but further studies contradict this and
show that police chiefs rated it last as an effective tool. Then the prohibition of death row will be
concluded, based on the arguments solely for this matter, and the factors from the imperative death
penalty.
During this project I discovered that death row is an extremely horrific environment, and leaves
victims traumatized. Although the arguments to support death row and the death penalty can be
deemed reasonable, as it is supposed to provide justice and closure for those left behind, it can
encourage suspects to be truthful and reduce crime rates. However the evidence to support this is
limited, and easily overpowered by the fruitful research that challenges these supporting arguments.
Such as the reports suggesting that the facilities and practices do not fulfil expectations, and in many
cases fails society. Perhaps if it did meet the intentions of why it was established, the supportive side
would be stronger; rather than the opposition being more persuasive. Moreover the overriding point is,
Page1
execution should not be used as a punishment for a murder. It is ingrained into our collective
conscience that killing is wrong, thus is esteemed as hypocritical. In addition to this it does not benefit
Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

those who really need it, such as the victims families, as the lengthy appeal and trial process leaves
them to endure the tragedy much longer, and makes the perpetrators infamous. Therefore it leaves
the victims overlooked; it is no way a life should be celebrated.
Introduction
For my dissertation I have chosen to write about death row and if it should be kept in
practice, or if it should be abolished. The title,
which is in the form of a question that will be
answered by the end of this essay is Should
death row be prohibited? I wanted the
criminal justice service to be the basis of my
report because its an area I have always
been inquisitive about, and one of the
careers I would like to pursue is in law,
whether that be on the front-line as an officer
or in the background in an office or as a Figure 1: Artwork on the wall of Abu Salim
lawyer. I thought death row would be a prison in Tripoli, Lybia. (McCann, 2016)
fascinating area to explore since there are
very controversial views for and against as well as masses of information about the
facilities themselves, and capital punishment, there is also ample different aspects I
could research. The areas I intend to research are: what crimes result in death, the
process of conviction, whether said sentence is legal, what its like for inmates, the
average stay until execution, those whom were wrongfully convicted and the views of
the public, employees and inmate. The areas that I have researched will answer my
three sub-questions which are: Should the death penalty be legal? What is the death
penalty? What impact does death row have on the offenders?
A website called Amnesty International (which is a charity that campaigns to end

abuses of human rights) has an abundance of information on the death penalty and
adduce useful statistics. This particular website page I have sourced essentially
informs us about the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, which is among the top three
executioners worldwide (Amnesty International, 2015), according to the global death
penalty report for the period January to December 2014. It includes appalling facts,
for example 48.5% of people executed between January 1985 and June 2015...
were foreign nationals (Amnesty International, 2015). It also reports that crimes
such as adultery... witchcraft and sorcery (Amnesty International, 2015) are
offences that are punishable by death, which I think is absurd and reflects the
extremely strict laws in their country. The source later informs the reader that "the
death penalty in Saudi Arabia is used in violation of international human rights law
and standards" (Amnesty International, 2015). It is notorious that death penalty
cases are held in secret, denied access to lawyers and confessions are obtained
through maltreatment and deception. This can be another argument used to support
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the eradication of the legalization of capital punishment, as evidently the unjust

treatment of suspects can lead them into confessing to a crime they did not commit;
merely to escape the torment.
Public views on the death penalty are inconsistent, as shown in a poll carried out by
the National Pew Research Center released on 29th September (Death Penalty
Information Center, 2016a), where the graph (see Figure 2) illustrates the decline
from where it majorly peaked in 1995, and despite the slight increase of support in
2005 it continued to decrease. The Death Penalty Information Center (2016a)
informs us that the public support for the death penalty has dropped below 50% for
first time in 45 years. Even though this information shows us that it is gradually
getting less support, it isnt certain whether it will continue this way, as future events
can change the percentage dramatically as shown approximately from 1966 to 1967.
Even though these sources are about the death penalty and not specifically death
row they still relate to my
project because the crimes
that are punishable by death
ultimately result in the criminal
being housed in a prison on
death row. It also can be
included in the arguments
against death row because of
crimes that were mentioned
above, which appear
ridiculous and should not be
criminalized. Also regarding
the results of the poll above, if
Figure 2: Support for the death penalty continues to fall
the support continues to (Death Penalty Information Center, 2016a)
lessen this would lead to the
death row being prohibited as there would no longer be a need for the facility
because the decline in support of the practice will eventuate in there being an
abolishment of the death penalty.
An American newspaper, The Seattle Times, I acquired from the internet wrote an
article called Death penalty costly for families of victims too (Klingbeil, 2011).
They interviewed Karil S. Klingbeil, the sister of the murder victim, this article imparts
her opinions on the death penalty. At first the victims family wanted the worst
punishment for the crime, the death sentence and after the first two trials the
murderer received the death penalty, but "the third jury had one holdout for life"
(Klingbeil, 2011), which ensued in the criminal receiving life in prison without patrol.
Even though this tragic event left the victims three children without a mother,
Klingbeil (2011) later revealed that the death penalty should be abolished I dont
believe calling for someones death makes any of us a better person. This shows
that even though shes gone through incredible pain from the loss of her sister, no
punishment can give the victims family a sense of justice because even after her
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experience she still opposes the death penalty. Klingbeil (2011) also states all

studies I have read make it clear that the death penalty is not a deterrent to crime.
This means that even though you can be sentenced to death this does not
discourage people committing heinous crimes.
This source correlates to my project report because the information from this source
can be used for the argument against the death penalty, as why should there be a
death sentence if the loved ones left behind dont get any closure from the
punishment, or why should there be a death sentence if it doesnt deter crime. We
are educated that murder is against the law, this notion supposedly acts as a
deterrent. However the punishment for the crime results in the culprit being sent to
death row and eventually being executed.
To be able to complete this project there are various activities that have to be carried
out before and continued throughout. Firstly I had to gather information from various
resources, the easiest resource to accumulate information from was from the
internet. Another activity that was required is planning, I predominately used paper to
plan my project. When I was deciding on a topic I wanted to write about, I drew a
mind map and used four vague ideas and branched off them in more detail to ensure
that I had a wide range of ideas and was less likely wanting to change or become
dissatisfied with my choice afterwards. I also did numerous drafts and had them
reviewed so I could get feedback on how to improve my work, this activity was
carried throughout my project. Activities which are regularly updated during the
project are the activity log and bibliography.
There are some issues I may need to overcome through this project; using
technology to find information has a fairly big downside because the material online
can be produced or changed by anyone with little or no regulation. This would hinder
my project as I would not be aware I had obtained incorrect information and this
would be complicated if I acquired more resources on the same field and they would
be opposing facts. To minimize the chance of this happening I will use credible
resources, recognized organizations and established websites. Unfortunately I did
originally use Wikipedia for a small amount of sources. However I researched the
internet for more reliable webpages and, changed the corrupt ones recorded on my
bibliography accordingly. I also came across another problem when trying to find
books about death row, whilst there were three books recorded in my local librarys
database, I could only procure one of them. Furthermore due to the nature of this
subject there will be biased information, to solve this problem I tried to get resources
in the perspective of different people: the public, inmates, guards and people who
were effected.
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What is the death penalty?
The death penalty is polyonymous, you might recall it as capital punishment, death
sentence, death warrant or execution. The definition of this penalty is "punishment by
execution" (Stevenson, 2010); regularly "people are executed by the state as
punishment for a variety of crimes" (McCann, 2016), the crimes that result in this
sentence should be reserved for heinous offenses such as murder. Albeit in some
countries it is "sometimes for acts that should not be criminalized" (McCann, 2016),
such as falling in love, which we regard as a natural part of life. Although it is
unknown when the death penalty emerged, "first recorded death sentence was in
Egypt 16th Century BC" (Howard, 2016, p.14), this suggests that we can only
assume executions had taken place prior to this documentation. This source is an
unbiased, thoroughly researched and a well-executed book, where the author is an
expert consultant in serial killers.
Many forms of execution methods have been used

throughout the history of the death penalty. Arguably the
commonly most used around the world today, are more
admissible: "beheadings", "firing squad", "electrocution",
"lethal injection" and "hanging" (Howard, 2016, p.20).
Whereas historically, methods such as boiling alive "there
are records to show some people boiled for up to two
hours before death took them" (Laurence, 1960), as cited
in Reggio, 2016), crucifixion where "the most infamous
execution of history occurred... with the crucifixion of
Jesus Christ" (Laurence, 1960), as cited in Reggio, 2016)
and "drowning at sea" (Laurence, 1960), as cited in
Reggio, 2016). The execution methods they used in the
past are heinous, and comparing the past and present, it Figure 3: Front cover of the book,
is evident that practices have improved. Albeit this does Rope: a history of the hanged.
th Quinlan, A. (2016)
not infer that they're peaceful. 15 September 2009,
when Romell Brooms execution was carried out, it did
not go without difficulty. To the executioners frustration they "were unable to find a
useable vein in Mr. Brooms arms or legs" (Radelet, 2016) and the offender complied
with two hours of torment "during the failed efforts, Mr. Broom winced and grimaced
with pain" (Radelet, 2016). This affair happened fairly recently; it is evident that that
"death was often cruel" aforetime, but you would not expect this to be continued
since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, inaugurated in 1948: it states that
no one shall be subjected to cruel or degrading punishment" (Amnesty International,
2016a). Additionally it is not an abnormality that these horrendous execution happen.
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Figure 4: The rate of botched executions (Sadat (2014), as cited in Radelet (2016)
"It is estimated that 3% of U.S. executions in the period from 1890 to 2010 were
botched" (Radelet, 2016). The statistics (see figure 4) raises the question, why isn't
the execution by firing squad predominately used? They have a 0% botched rate,
from the total of executions, which could expound the nil rating. Therefore if it was
used on a wider scale of offenders it would be a different outcome. Whereas the
lethal injection botched rate was a staggering 7.12% based on 1,054 executions,
corroborates that this method is fair more prone to disasters than electrocution,
where the rate was a respectable 1.92% for the highest total of executions
amounting to 4,374. Based on the information collected for this question, the
prohibition of the death penalty seems an appropriate decision, as it is a denial of
human rights and the prolongment of sheer torture is inequitable.
To conclude, the death penaltys execution methods are not always pain-free, there
are countless of cases where the defendant suffered greatly, which makes a strong
argument for the abolishment of the punishment. It is also against human rights;
which everyone is entitled to, regardless of their actions. In addition to this
electrocution appears to be the most human as it has the highest figure of total
executions in the 120 year period with only a 1.92% botched execution rate.
When exploring the types of crimes resulting in the

death penalty, there are many that in the present,
could be reckoned as farcical. Innocuous offenses
such as "making disturbances at night in the city
(Laurence, 1960), as cited in Reggio, 2016), which
was a valid crime in Roman 5th Century BC, also in
Britain 1279 "clipping coin" (Laurence, 1960), as
cited in Reggio, 2016), which is the practice of
cutting miniscule pieces from coins, and in New-
England from 1636 until 1647 "idolatry" (Laurence,
1960), as cited in Reggio, 2016). There were many
other felonies proposed in the past that would be
deemed trivial in the present age. Thus the death
penalty crimes have evolved more reasonable
compared to the foregoing offenses, and the
Figure 5: Iran: child bride faces execution by hanging
circumstances are being taken into consideration (Amnesty International, 2016b)
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more. "Under Senate Bill 162, the death penalty

could not be imposed on a murderer with an illness... that significantly impaired his

or her ability to exercise rational judgment, follow the law, or appreciate the nature of
their crime" (Pelzer, 2015), not all countries have adapted to this demeanor to date.
Zeinab Sekaanvand Lokran "...was 17 when her husband died. Zeinab was arrested
and confessed that she killed her husband after hed abused her for months and
refused her requests for divorce" (Amnesty International, 2016b). This proves that
the death penalty is unjust, as she was "repeatedly tortured by police officers"
(Amnesty International, 2016b), not only to mention that "the use of the death penalty
for crimes committed by people under 18 is also completely prohibited under the
Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Iran has signed up to" (Amnesty
International, 2016b). Whilst it is debatable that to some extent, felonies can be
justified by execution, I contemplate on the prohibition of the death penalty due to the
atrocious use of the practice. Children should not be serving a death sentence, as
they still have time to alter as their brain is still developing. Death row offers little
chance of rehabilitation nor redemption; it exhibits severe effects on the mature
convicts, therefore children are understandably going to be more susceptible to the
deterioration of mental and physical health. Zeinab patently proves this as "her baby
died in her womb two days earlier due to shock" (Amnesty International, 2016b).
Although it is disputable if children should be exempt from the death sentence, as it's
dubious whether they would be oblivious of their actions and that the death sentence
should not be discriminatory. To have an unbiased opinion this initiates two
outcomes, children will be liable or the abolishment of the death penalty.
To summarize, the transgressions that result in the death penalty has adapted as our
society and ideology have altered, as most countries no longer include adultery,
magic or abandonment of religion in their category of crime. However it is not only
Saudi Arabia (Amnesty International, 2015) that appear to be antiquated, recently
Iran has been infamous for sentencing a child bride (Amnesty International, 2016b),
who only wanted to escape her torture, which also provides an effective argument to
oppose the use of the death penalty. The source Amnesty International, which is
where the preponderance of the evidence is rendered, is a biased source, as they
fight for the abolishment of the death penalty. Howbeit I believe that the data and
views they present are immensely valuable for my dissertation as they are insightful
and properly supported.
Mental illness can affect the use of the death penalty, if mental health problems are
considered severe enough that it "impaired their capacity (a) to appreciate the
nature, consequences or wrongfulness of their conduct, (b) to exercise rational
judgment in relation to conduct, or (c) to conform their conduct to the requirements of
the law" (Capital Punishment In Context, 2007), they would be deemed as insane,
thus exempting them from the death penalty. However very few offenders that have
mental health issues fall under the category of insanity, thus receiving the death
penalty. It is controversial whether executing the impaired delivers justice to the
victims family and society as it "has questionable retributive value and no deterrent
value, and thus simply offends humanity" (Capital Punishment In Context, 2007),
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also should they be held accountable for their actions; even if they're not aware of
what they've done, resulting in execution, or would it be more beneficial for them to

be admitted to a mental institution to be treated; rather than being held captive in an
environment which is known to degenerate a cognitively healthy person. There is
also uncertainty when determining the authenticity of their illness, as it common
knowledge that convicts have proclaimed to possess an illness, but are being
mendacious, to prevent this happening the defence of insanity must be an invalid
exemption, because it would obliterate the opportunity of claiming insanity.
To recapitulate, mental illness allows the defendant to escape the deplorable death
sentence, although there is dispute over whether these individuals deserve to be
punished for their offenses; to deliver justice and closure to the families of the
victims. Even though they may not even be aware of the destruction they have
caused, which supports the counterargument that they in fact, should not be held
accountable.
Figure 6: Death penalty 2016: alarming surge in recorded executions sees highest toll in more than 25 years.
(Amnesty International, 2016c)
In 2015, 96 countries retained the death penalty, however 32 "haven't executed in at

least 10 years" (McCann, 2016), and 6 "only retain the death penalty for serious
crimes, such as murdering, or during times of war" (McCann, 2016). By the end of
2015, "102 countries had completely abolished the dath penalty" (McCann, 2016).
McCann (2016) also states that the executions carried out in 2015, majorly increased
from the previous year, from 2014. "1,634+ people were executed... up 54% on
2014. Albeit this figure may seem shocking, it is not an unerring representative of
the amount of beings executed, as "this total does not include China where
thousands more were likely executed, but where death penalty data is treated as a
state secret" (Amnesty International, 2016c). Amnesty International also reported
that "the surge was largely fuelled by Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia" and "China
remained the worlds top executioner". With the estimate of 1,000+ executions in
China, this is an alarming situation; that the country is able to have secrecy around
their death penalty. Notwithstanding the tremendous amount of estimated executions
carried out, as a ramification there is no justification for these killings. Moreover that
most of the retentionist countries did not threaten Chinas monstrous figure, nor even
reach a 100 deaths as, America executed 28 [and] Ethiopia executed 0 (McCann,
2016). There were only three other countries with three digit execution figures;
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Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran. Although countries may momentary halt the death

penalty, this does not prevent it being restored as "after a seven-year moratorium,
Pakistan has reinstated the death penalty" (Toppa, 2015).
There are an umpteen points to support or oppose the use of the death penalty, in
the next section these arguments will be explored.
Should the death penalty be legal?
This vexed questions provokes many conflicting responses. There are many factors
to consider to permit or prohibit the death penalty, some with evidence to support the
claims, albeit some are based on perception and personal experience. Could it be
that the punishment is imposed on somebody to deliver justice for the victims? Or is
it a punishment that has futile value for society? There are some rudimentary
arguments behind vengeance and punishment, and statements implying that it is an
imperative penalty. The arguments provided for each side enables a more tenable
opinion to be formed, on whether to support or oppose the legalization of capital
punishment.
"All guilty people deserve to be punished... in proportion to the severity of their
crime" (BBC, 2014). This argument suggests that every criminal should be penalized
for their actions, regardless of their age and health status, offenders will not be
spared from the death penalty. Furthermore it is acknowledged that predominantly,
defendants should receive an adequate punishment. If the perpetrator who
committed murder, received a measly few months in a prison it would cause uproar
in society, as many believe in the "eye for an eye" (BBC, 2014) argument for their
view of justice; it will also aggravate the pain the victims loved ones go through, as I
could only imagine they would feel disgruntled with the outcome, and be
disheartened with the justice system. However this is a generalized argument, as
there are circumstances where it is debated if it should still apply, such as child
marriages. This is where some murder their husbands due to mistreatment, and are
sentenced to death. Even though this could have been seen as a desperate act to
escape their tribulation. Razieh Ebrahimi, who was 17 at the time of the offense and
was married at only age 14 states, "I didn't know who I am or what is life all about.
My husband mistreated me. He used any excuse to insult me, even attacking me
physically" (Boyle, 2014). This could be classed as self-defense, she was being
physically and emotionally attacked, and it is possible it could have occurred for
many years. Although murder is not acceptable, in some cases the offenders see it
as their last resort and a rational answer. However, I agree with this point because
crimes need to have punishments, without them there would be no laws, crime would
be a much greater rate than it currently is, as there would be no restrictions or
consequences for the criminal acts. Odious felonies such as murder would be
deemed acceptable, as there would be nothing to stop or deter the human race. This
also got me pondering the question, how would zero statutes shape our morals?
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This could change the way our parents educate us on what is right and wrong, and it
could eventuate into morals not being distinguished.
"Only guilty people deserve to be punished" (BBC, 2014) and "it is but fair that they
are brought to justice and suffer the fate they rightfully deserve" (Green Garage,
2015). Criminal acts should not go unnoticed, the offenders should receive a
punishment that is appropriate, as boundaries are important in order to live
harmoniously as possible together. But it is known that miscarriages of justice occur,
which is unacceptable, not only because punishing an innocent person is
unjustifiable. It also does not "...meet survivors' needs for justice and closure" (Reed,
2010). This argument has a great significance to proponents as it is disputed that the
death penalty provides a seldom irremovable punishment; thus offers a sense of
relief to the victims families, as their traumatic event is ceased and ends the
ambiguity of the other possible sentences which, they may not feel like it justifies
their loss. This is a feeble argument as some families feel that execution brings them
closure, but that it is not a justification for the death penalty as a whole.
It is unmistakable that the

executed cannot commit
further crimes, although not
everyone agrees that this is a
passable argument for taking
a life, that there are other
options that can be the
satisfactory answer to ensure
the perpetrators do not re-
offend, "such as
imprisonment for life without
possibility of parole" (BBC,
2014). Albeit "some people
don't believe that life
imprisonment without parole
protects society adequately" Figure 7: Causes of wrongful convictions
(BBC, 2014), that the prisoner can (Death Penalty Information Center, 2016b)
escape and kill again, which is an
extremely rare occurrence. A
counterargument for the surrogate punishment is that "execution would remove that
danger" (BBC, 2014) to the prison staff, other inmates and guarantee the publics
safety. Though this argument does have a defect, the gruesome reality that innocent
people are executed. This is an inevitable problem that will not be resolved unless
the death penalty is abolished. Regardless if the science used to identify the culprit
became unerring, a witnesss statement is imperative to the case. These statements
alone could lead to the defendant being wrongly convicted, "eyewitness
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misidentification is the greatest contributing factor to wrongful convictions... playing a

role in more than 70% of convictions overturned..." (Innocence Project, 2016).
Nevertheless there are many other reasons why a law-abiding individual is wrongly
incarcerated.
A study was carried out

which showed the
estimated rate of
exonerations in the
United States from
1973 to 2004, "that if all
death-sentenced
defendants remained
under sentence of
death indefinitely at
least 4.1% would be
exonerated" (Gross et
al., 2014, p.7232). The
source also reveals the
number executed,
which peradventure
could have been
innocent "13% of
death-sentenced
Figure 8: the cumulative probability of exoneration under threat of execution for inmates were removed
death-sentenced defendants, by time from conviction through 2004.
(Gross et al., 2014, p.7232)
from death row by
execution (943 of
7,482)" (Gross et al., 2014, p.7231). This would patently be an unassailable
argument that supports the opposition of capital punishment, as when the falsely
prosecuted is executed, it is irreversible. The trauma they may have gone through
was unnecessary, the effect death row has on the inmates is devastating, even if the
convicts do get exonerated, their lives will never return to how it was before the
upheaval. Sabrina Butler was convicted for murder and later exonerated. Although
her innocence was certified, it markedly did not suffice, "everyone knew her as the
woman who had killed her son (The Conversation, 2015), and "no one would give
her a job" (The Conversation, 2015). Research that has been carried out shows that
the majority of exonerates " return to their communities with little to no assistance
with re-entry no compensation of any kind" (The Conversation, 2015). This makes
the plight they have been subjected to, increasingly more inexpedient to move on
from and rebuild their lives, as the lengthy time they have been imprisoned for, their
families, friends and civilization would have changed, as stated by an offender in the
Prison Service Journal, "when I was sentenced you didnt have phones with
cameras; or tills in supermarkets where you do it yourself" (Adams, 2011)
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Plea bargaining is used by the majority of countries. This is where the defendant
pleads guilty or provides help to the police as "the prisoner has the strongest
possible incentive to try to get their sentence reduced" (BBC, 2014). Therefore it is
argued that the death penalty is a tool beneficial to the police, as those under
scrutiny are more likely to confess if it results in a sentence other than the death
penalty. Albeit this is a profoundly expensive tool. Although it is understandable that
many believe that the death penalty is cheaper, deeming that shortening ones life
would be less expensive than supplying them with health care, nutrition and other
necessities when serving life imprisonment; in reality this is not the case. The death
penalty is surprisingly more costly than people anticipate. "A 2014 study out of
Kansas reported that a death row prisoner costs $49,380 to house per year, whereas
a general population prisoner costs $24,690" (Chammah, 2014). The cost of the
attorneys, and mitigation specialists are unpredictable as "new standards mean new
and costly legal battles" (Chammah, 2014), also when the defendant appeals his
sentence. "David Powell was executed in 2010 for shooting an Austin police officer in
1978. His death sentence was reversed twice, meaning the county had to pay not for
one trial but for three" (Chammah, 2014), and "jury selection could... cost roughly
$200,000 more than in other murder trials" (Chammah, 2014) as well as the housing;
as those who are sentenced to death are virtually always segregated from the
general population of the prison. Withal to some it may seem inappropriate to equate
a human life to the expense incurred by the taxpayer to keep the convict alive, but in
spite of this it is still a predominant argument to support the use of the death penalty.
The death penalty is

frequently validated with the
argument that by executing
guilty murderers, this would
deter potential convicts from
copying. Disturbingly racial Figure 9: The death penalty and race. (Amnesty International, 2014a)
discrimination plays a part in
sentencing those to death,
from the initial charging until sentencing, "one-third of African-American death row
inmates in Philadelphia would have received sentences of life imprisonment if they
had not been African-American" (Amnesty International, 2014a). It also affect how
the victim is perceived if they are not white, "their lives are accorded less value when
they are victims" (Amnesty International, 2014a), and when they are the reverse role,
"are treated more harshly when they are defendants" (Amnesty International,
2014a). The jarring truth is unacceptable, as the death penalty is supposed to be a
sentence which brings justice and closure. Whether since race appears to be an
obligatory factor in whether the defendant is capable and guilty of committing a
felony is farcical, "the single most reliable predictor of whether someone will be
Page12
sentenced to death is the race of the victim" (Amnesty International, 2014a), as a

result this undoubtedly does not serve it's intended purpose, as it could eventuate
into miscarriages of justice.
In addition to this, the death
penalty does not discourage the
murder rates, and one of the
arguments that support the use of
this penalty is that it reduces
crime rates. As a result abolishing
the death penalty will lead to an
increase in crime," 7% crime rate
increase on the years when this
law was abolished" (Green
Garage, 2015). It is thought that
the reason of the increase in
crime rate is because of
insufficient laws to tackle the
Figure 10: The death penalty and deterrence. (Amnesty International, 2014b)
problems that emanate, "criminals
become careless and bolder to
commit heinous crimes because of the leniency in punishments and loop holes in the
justice system" (Green Garage, 2015). As a remonstration, "the murder rate in non-
death penalty states has remained consistently lower than the rate in States with the
Death penalty" (Amnesty International, 2014b), therefore this confirms that
deterrence does not have an effect on crime rates. One of the reasons to explain this
is that "some capital crimes are committed in such an emotional state that the
perpetrator did not think about the possible consequences" (BBC, 2014). Evidently
the death sentence has not even been considered, so the death sentence has no
opportunity to prevent crime occurring. In conclusion, it does not deter, it is racially
biased in application" (The Conversation, 2015)
The effect death row has on offenders is significantly detrimental. The ineluctable
conditions they inhabit result in mental and physical dilapidation, and this will be
promulgated in the next section.
Page13

What impact does death row have on the offenders?
Death row is "the cells in a prison for prisoners who are waiting to be killed as
punishment for a serious crime" (Stevenson, 2010)
In the majority of countries the conditions of death row are far from tolerable. Words
such as "harsh and life threatening, abysmal, dangerous and degrading..." (Cornwall
Law School, 2012) are just a few examples that suitably fit the lamentable
environment the inmates have to endure. There are many contributing factors to this
predicament.
"Overcrowding is a major issue..." (Cornwall Law School, 2012). The severity of this
problem is evident, as it is acknowledged that "a cellblock built to house 6 inmates
has been used to hold as many as 18-24 death row inmates" (Cornwall Law School,
2012). This is inexcusable for the offenders because being detained in a cell for most
of the day by, "spending up to 23 hours per day in isolation in a 6- by 9-foot cell"
(Babcock, 2008), is understandably frustrating enough. But housing more inmates
than the cellblocks capacity will accommodate for, will confine the already restricted
"parameters of your [the inmates] existence" (Inside death row, 2013), and add to
their exasperation. This leads to further problems such as violence towards those
incarcerated and the prison guards. The more agitated the inmates become,
heightens the plight themselves and the prison guards are subjected to, "years of
solitary confinement and sensory deprivation literally drive inmates mad and make
them more likely to wound the guards, riot or attempt escape (Walters, 2014).
Moreover "unsanitary conditions and dilapidated buildings" (Cornwall Law School,
2012), are worrying issues raised. These tarnished circumstances can be "leaking
roofs and inadequate bathroom and sewage systems, deficient electricity, poor
ventilation, and a lack of lighting" (Cornwall Law School, 2012). Consequently this
aggravates the overcrowding crisis, because these quandaries combined has "...led
to the spread of infectious disease (Cornwall Law School, 2012). Albeit the
defendants have committed horrendous offences, thus it is disputed that the death
penalty is warranted, "Harold McFarland said he believes the man who killed his 32-
year-old son deserves to die" (The Guardian, 2015). However this should not equate
to the conditions being simultaneously inhumane, as McFarland supports the
improvements made to Virginia's death row, where his sons murderer is housed,
while hes still on the Earth, he should be treated as a human" (The Guardian,
2015). To exacerbate the derisory living standards; inmates have "failed to receive
medical, psychological or psychiatric treatment" (Cornwall Law School, 2012). This
lack of medical care has led to the premature death of those incarcerated, and
diseases are nimbly passed amongst entities as the "infected with tuberculosis are
held together with uninfected prisoners" (Cornwall Law School, 2012). A cruel and
indefensible issue, which is used as a form of torture to extract confessions, or
intimidate, and humiliate the incarcerated or simply because the prisons medical
team are "hesitant to treat them since they have been sentenced to die anyway"
Page14
(Cornwall Law School, 2012), this disgusting treatment versus the inmates rights,

"inmates are entitled to medical care and attention... provided must be adequate"
(Reuters, 2016).
In conclusion the conditions of death row are abysmal, there are many problems
highlighted, such as overcrowding, unhygienic and structural complications. Due to
this mistreatment offenders are susceptible to becoming ill, which may ultimately
lead to their precipitate death. Often offenders are denied medical attention, not only
does this augment the risk of infections among the incarcerated, it also is a denial of
their entitled rights.
This impacts the prisoners severely as it is not only their physical health at risk of
deterioration, but also their mental state is compromised, "the psychological torment
of anticipating their own death" (Cornwall Law School, 2012). The extreme isolation
incurred is known as the death row phenomenon, and the "psychological effects that
can result as death row syndrome (Babcock, 2008).
Figure 11: Average time between sentencing and execution (Death penalty Information Center, 2012)
The average time the offender resides on death row until execution is astonishing,
and they "typically spend over a decade awaiting execution (Babcock, 2008). Over
time the average stay on death row has steadily increased as in 1994 it was a mere
74 months compared to 190 months in 2012. As a result of the numerous reforms
attempting to achieve a less erratic system, the lengthier appeals have become.
Death row's "protracted periods in the confines of death row can make inmates
suicidal, delusional and insane" (Babcock, 2008), the stress of not being aware of
their execution date, has been cited as "undue mental anguish and suffering
(Babcock, 2008). Due to the harrowing conditions and the interminable wait until
execution; it is not uncommon that the prisoners develop mental illnesses, such as
"schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, delusions, and other impairments" (Capital
Punishment in Context, 2007). The generality of death row prisoners have a lack of
Page15
privileges (Cornwall Law School, 2012), and having finite activities to keep them

occupied, and vitally coherent. Their limited options are; reading, writing. Though
some are lucky to have technology such as televisions, radios and even pets. Which
was shown in the documentary, Inside Death Row presented by Trevor McDonald
(2013).
It also paraded that the general population of the prison had more opportunity to be
productive, by attaining credibility to work in the prisons hairdressers. They also had
more contingency to socialise together. This impacts them greatly as it gives them a
sense of purpose and they feel less lonesome, making life in captivity more bearable
than the "suppressive gloom of death row" (Inside death row, 2013).
To summarize death row does not only have a physical impact on offenders, it also
affects them mentally; the strenuous period of time the offender is subjected to on
death row inflames the development of mental illnesses. It is also compassionless to
keep them in a constant state of anxiety as they are not aware of their execution
date, and this leads them into resorting in thinking every day is their last. They are
isolated from human contact and have no opportunity to obtain reasons to live
contrary to the general population of the prison who get to work.
The views of the law

enforcement is
extremely important as
it is only natural to ask
them as "they see it up
close every day, and
they have a personal
stake in reducing
violence" (Dieter,
1995). Surprisingly
police chiefs do not
consider the death
penalty as an effective
implement, "many Figure 12: On the front line: law enforcement and views on the death penalty.
(Dieter, 1995)
police chiefs support
the death penalty philosophically, a strong majority do not believe that it is an
effective law enforcement tool in practice" (see figure 12), "only 1% of the chiefs
citing it as their primary focus for stopping violent crime" (Dieter, 1995). In fact prison
guards are "pleading the state to make conditions more humane for inmates"
(Walters, 2014); the "guards want inmates to be able to share two to a cell (Walters,
2014) which ideally, will alleviate the isolation they sustain. However it is
questionable whether if this will have an adverse effect, as Clifton Perry, an inmate
that has already served 20 years on death row expresses his concern, 'me, I don't
know if I can handle a bunkie after 20 years of living by myself' (St. John, 2016). It is
Page16
thought that technology would be "incentives for good behaviour" (Walters, 2014), to
aid in giving the convicts something to aspire towards, as concerns have been raised

over officer safety, "officers faced danger every day from inmates with 'nothing to
lose'" (Walters, 2014).
Within the resource Prison Service Journal (Adams, 2011, p.24-27) an interview of a
man, Jim Simmons; who had been sentenced to life imprisonment is included. He
described the prison as an "unstable environment" and are "warehouses now with a
conveyor belt system". Hypothetically it is possible that Simmons is referring to the
fact that the justice system is based on punishment, rather than rehabilitation. Which
is creating an imperishable bond between crime and offending. This is typically anent
for death row inmates as they "are usually exposed to the same environment as the
general prison populationand conditions are often worse" (Cornwall Law School,
2012).
It may seem that offenders do not feel contrition over their crimes, but this is a
generalized assumption, "affecting somebody else's life years later by one or several
acts of stupidity... indescribable things that I've done in my past, shamefully,
regretfully..." (Inside death row, 2013), Baer also states that "I do deserve to be
executed". Baer is a death row inmate who appears to feel particularly guilty over the
beastly acts he has committed, although this may not be a true representation of the
facts as he may just be acting deceitfully. However he has no justification in doing
so, as it is very clear he will be executed regardless. His fellow inmate Richie also
shares this rueful persona. When McDonald catechized him, about when his
execution is eventually being carried out, questioning on whether he would be
remorseful or defiant; his reply is haphazard. He believes he will be recalcitrant along
with sorrow, this eventuates to the questionable honesty of his repentance, as it is
possible that he no longer believes that he should be on death row. Richie states "I
deserved that sentence at the time" (Inside death row, 2013), referring to the time of
the sentence, what he says about the police officer he murdered gives no indication
of regret for this actions. Although Richie is on death row, he appears to support the
use of the punishment, as he believes Baer deserves to be punished, "the only help
for a dude like that is to be put down" (Inside death row, 2013). It is strange that a
man who has the same dismal fate as him, can relate with Baer as they are both
murderers, and maintain such a strong opinion of him, but additionally support the
sentence that will inevitably end his existence. Although Richie is a volatile being, he
does provide a strong argument to support the opposition of the death penalty,
"killing is wrong, yet you're killing me" (Inside death row, 2013), and this would cause
controversy on whether he opposes or supports the death penalty as he has
provided conflicting arguments.
Page17

It is understandable that inmates
have "trouble adapting" (Inside
death row, 2013) to solitary
confinement, as "it takes time
getting used to, it's tough" (Inside
death row, 2013). The "abnormal
environment for a human being" has
"diminished... prisoners' sense of
humanity and will to live" (Robinson,
2003). Prisoners such as Scott
Pinholster (refer to figure 13), have Figure 13: Scott Pinholster at San Quentin state prison.
been eagerly anticipating death, as (Coronado, 2016)
they see it as an escape from the atrocious conditions, and "an escape from
punishment" (Robinson, 2003). Years of incarceration has lead them to be uncaring
over the execution; 'after 30 years, you dont care one way or the other'" states
Pinholster (Robinson, 2003). Therefore it can be argued if the death penalty is an
effective punishment, by the time the inmates are going to be executed they no
longer see it as a consequence for their crimes. They simply do not care, and it is
equivocal whether this would give the victim's family justice.
Conclusion
To conclude the discrete sub-questions in my dissertation, it is conspicuous that

death row should be prohibited, as the arguments that have been formed to reinforce
the use of the death penalty can be deemed to be based on opinion rather than fact;
with no evidence to prove it is authentic. Therefore these have been counteracted
with logical, alarming statements with evidence to support them.
From when the death penalty was first instated, a lot has changed regarding the
types of crimes that result in the punishment, how the guilty are executed and the
number of countries that it is legal in. Compared to the current age, the execution
methods were barbaric. However it is not always as humane as it could possibly be
today, as there are many cases where the executed have gone through excruciating
pain before the relief of death. Although the amount of countries that have abolished
the penalty has increased, there are three countries that continue to use it heavily.
Furthermore it is debatable whether people who suffer from mental illnesses should
be exempt from the death penalty, as a predominant argument against this, is that
they should be held accountable for their actions.
Contrary to the information provided from my first sub-question, there are espousing
factors. For example, the eye for an eye law and that all guilty people should be
punished; it provides justification and closure to the families who have to deal with
Page18
the destruction they have inflicted. Though the opposition's arguments are perhaps
much more convincing, such as the length of time between sentencing and

execution, as this is neighboured by psychological anguish, how expensive it is and
the miscarriages of justice that occur, as for many of those proven to be innocent it is
too late. Howbeit for those who have survived until their exoneration, it is extremely
difficult for them to adapt, as death row has had detrimental effects on the inmates,
their family and even their community. This horrific ordeal could cause them to
develop mental illnesses, with the lack of medical care and compensation required
once exonerated, which is fictitious; the reality is they have been abandoned. If their
innocence is proven, it does not naturally result in a warm welcome back into
society, and to restore their life to how it was before the tragic event; after death row,
it is undoubtable that they flounder to live again. Moreover the death penalty is
thought to deter crime and not be discriminating, albeit some studies that have been
carried out challenge this.
The conditions the inmates must tolerate are horrid. There are numerous problems
acknowledged. Such as overcrowded and unhygienic surroundings, which eventuate
into diseases being increasingly gravely and easily spread. This matter is amplified
as inmates are regularly denied adequate or if any medical treatment, which results
in many inmates dying prematurely; not reaching their execution date. Not only is
mistreatment and uninhabitable conditions immoral, it is also against the rights of
those who are incarcerated. The impact this has on the inmates is detrimental, as
they struggle to adapt from the freedom they once had to the contradicting
imprisonment. Thus many develop mental illnesses, recognised as death row
syndrome or death row phenomenon, due to the environment and the desolation
from being under the constant agitation of believing every day is their last. This can
mean decades of anxiety, as the period between sentencing and execution has only
increased over the years. In addition to this the lack of activities they are permitted to
do, eventuates into poor behaviour and, being more susceptible to having ill-health.
Law enforcement believe it is the reason why they are exposed to violence and are
actively protesting for better conditions. Although inmates may be reluctant to display
their emotions, it is obvious that many fear execution; however this may not be
applied to every inmate. Some yearningly await death because, it is seen as an
escape from their dismal confined lives.
I believe that death row should be prohibited; this leads to the death penalty also
being abolished. The conditions are inhumane, although those who are living on
death row have committed heinous crimes, they should still be treated as humans
and their rights as a prisoner, and the human rights act should be respected
regardless of the situation. In addition to this inmates might view execution as a
positive, as it would relieve them from the execrable conditions, concluding their
suffering is wrong and saddening. Furthermore the mentally ill should be exempt
from execution, as it is argued that if they did not suffer from this would they have
still committed the crime? And if their illness makes them oblivious to their acts, this
Page19
does not bring justice for the victim's family, as the perpetrator will not be able to
accept what they have done The fundamental argument to support this punishment

is that it harbours justice, then if this is not the case, and the perpetrator is unable to
comprehend what is happening, there would be no purpose for it being used. An
alarming fact is that innocent people are executed, this alone should be enough to
have abolishment of this practice, as no other solution would be adequate to prevent
guiltless offenders from death. Even if the scientific process to determine a criminal
became faultless, the imperative evidence from witnesses can be spurious.
Most of the research I have acquired to back up my arguments and ideas for the
dissertation, have been gathered from credible websites, such as Amnesty
International and the Death Penalty Research Center. Before I thoroughly
researched this subject, I thought I supported the use of the death penalty. As my
notion of justice was the eye for an eye concept, the death penalty seemed to be the
appropriate punishment.
Although now I do not share the same notion, as it is truly disgusting that humans
are being treated in such ways. My project was unintentionally leaning towards being
mostly opposing the death penalty. Although I was aiming to get an even number of
arguments to support each side, for or against. As a result of this, the area that is
lacking research is the arguments to support the death penalty, due to the nature
that all of the supporting facts are counteracted, with opposing arguments to
reinforce them. I learnt many things from this project, which I was not aware of
before. Such as in some cases death row inmates are held in shipping containers,
and that the death penalty is not painless, as it is portrayed on the television. It is a
fact that in many cases it is torturous.
Evaluation
I think that my project met the aims I had set, this was to answer the main question
through my three sub-questions. Also by the end of my dissertation, I and the reader
should have a definite opinion, on whether the death penalty should not be a legal
punishment, and if there should be facilities to house those sentenced to death. The
information I wanted to research, and include in the project was the history of the
death penalty, where it is legal, what crimes result in execution, what impact the
death penalty has on: the offenders, families and law enforcement. I believe I
included an adequate amount of evidence for the areas I have researched, and
thoroughly expanded on the quotes, to provide insight into the different possibilities
that could have been considered, to decide whether it supports or opposes the use
of the death penalty, or death row.
Page20

In my opinion I believe that this project went reasonably smoothly, even though I
changed to a higher course a couple of weeks into my Extended Project
Qualification. But I did not find this an issue, as I was still able to complete work to
the deadlines set, and continued to produce work to a good standard. Therefore I
never felt under stress during this dissertation, and found it utterly interesting. During
the period of time I dedicated to solely obtain information, I was able to find credible
sources from websites such as Amnesty International, and the BBC. Although from
evidence collected these seemed to be biased sources, they were incredibly useful
for my dissertation. However I did acquire some unreliable sources, such as
Wikipedia, that I had to change when researching, but it was relatively easy to do so.
Despite that I had already obtained a large amount of sources before I started writing
my three sub-questions, I discovered that I needed to research more to provide
evidence, and to back up the points I had made throughout the dissertation. As a
result this made the questions longer than I had originally thought to complete, as I
had to summarize the sources before I included them in the sub-questions. Although
the research review is extremely important, it was tedious, albeit I was very
consumed in the information I was discovering, as I find I this topic fascinating.
I did have a slight nuisance to overcome, as the books that would have been a great
tool in answering the sub-questions were either, long overdue or not transported
from a library to my local one in time. Fortunately I was able to use articles,
documentaries and a book, in order to have a range of different resources.
During the course of my project my ideas developed, as to when I first started I was
planning to only write about death row, and look more closely into how the conditions
of the facility differ from country to country. But evidently I decided that I thought it
would be useful to contain some information about the death penalty, the arguments
for and against the sentence. Since it would benefit in developing a decision on
whether death row should be prohibited, as the death penalty relates to death row
because, it is the punishment that results in the perpetrator being imprisoned. When
deciding how to title my sub-questions, it was difficult to decide on what course I
wanted to take. For example instead of my second sub-question, "Should the death
penalty be legal?. Which includes an abundance of supporting and opposing
factors, I could have focused on one reason for each side. Which would have made
it easier for myself. Perhaps this would have suited my dissertation better, as it
would mean I could have provided more information, and thoroughly detailed
explanations, instead of briefly discussing each reason.
I believe that the websites I had obtained my information from, are very credible.
Such as Amnesty International, a charity that is campaigning to abolish the death
penalty; they provide news and facts about a range of problems over the world.
Another website I used was the BBC, which is an established company that provides
accurate information and news. However the information I used from the webpage
did not specified author, nor the date it was published clearly; if this was provided it
would have supported the credibility. In addition to this numerous of the sources I
Page21
had recorded had no author or date published displayed, although I regret using
these sources, as the lack of information provided about the source questions the

authenticity, the facts and arguments provided were compelling and extremely useful
for my dissertation. I was particularly pleased to have found a website that published
the writing from prison inmates, called Prison Writers. Deemed as a credible source,
they are a charity that is revealing what life is like behind bars, using the words of
those incarcerated. With the purpose of this is to reform the criminal justice system
and prison. It also allows the prisoners a chance to express themselves, share their
backgrounds, and give them a sense of purpose. I did collect some newspaper
articles, although it is known that newspapers exaggerate, I used broadsheet
newspapers rather than tabloids.
If I was to do this project again in the future, I would use more books to support the
points made, as in most cases websites can be written and modified by anyone, thus
reduces how truthful it is. In to comparison books, which are strictly checked and
edited before publication. I would also focus on a specific aspect of death row, such
as solely on the arguments to support and oppose, or the conditions of the prison
and, the effect it has on the inmates. I believe that my project was too broad, even
though I condensed the amount I was keen to find out, before completing my project
proposal.
Page22

Project Activity Log
Learner Name Kimberley Mainprize Learner number 345935
Centre Name York College Centre Number 4853
Unit Name Extended Project Qualification Unit number
Teacher Assessor
Proposed project title Should Death Row be prohibited?
This form should be used to record the process of your project and be submitted as evidence with the
final piece of work.
You may want to discuss:
what you have done (e.g. from one week to the next)
if you are working in a group, what discussions you have had
any changes that you have or will need to make to your plans
what resources you have found or hope to find
what problems you are encountering and how you are solving them
what you are going to do next
Date Comments
16/09/16 This was my first day on the Extended Project Qualification course. I met Julie (the
Tutor), Ellie and the rest of the group. The first hour or so we spent it getting to know
each other a little more. We were introduced to the course, had the health and safety
presentation and a tour around the College to help make find our class rooms easier. We
also filled out some required forms like the risk assessment and contact details and we
also got our Student ID Cards. We also started our Activity Skills booklet.
19/09/16 We used today to continue filling out our Activity Skills Booklet. We were discussing
what people who have done this previously had done their project about, Julie and Ellie
gave us a brief overview of the Extended Project Qualification. We are encouraged to
choose a subject that apples to us as it is makes it much easier if we are interested in
what we are researching and it would show in our report. I am thinking of maybe writing
about crime, perhaps what makes criminals who they are, the process of conviction,
wrongly convicted or maybe from the victims perspective; what effect it has on them
during/after the ordeal and if conviction makes them feel better. Or I could write it
about technology as I love Computer Science, particularly coding.
20/09/16 We had a library tour today with Anne and after we went through what the course
entails in more detail, what is expected from us and what we get out of it at the end of
Page23
the Extended Project Qualification. We had to decide on one idea we were keen on for
the project so to help me do so I made a mind map of possible ideas and thought of four

different topics to branch off so I could have a varied ideas so I would not just stick to
one set idea and think of another subject I would rather write about later. I then did
some quick research on the ideas I had on my mind map to help me decide on what I
wanted to write my report about.
23/09/16 I was absent from College as I was ill but I used my time at home to research about one
of the ideas, on the mind map I had created, that I was really interesting about. I used
the computer to find some books and documentaries that had been carried out on
Death Row. I am really pleased to have found some interesting documentaries on the
BBC called 'Life and Death Row' which is a series telling the stories of capital punishment
through the eyes of the young convicts and ITV which is 'Inside Death Row' with Trevor
McDonald that I have already watched before, but I am going to re-watch them and
make notes on them so I can use them as sources for my project.
Page24

Date Comments
26/09/16 I used my time to research more about Death Row I did some research on the internet
and found some good websites that had for and against arguments for the Death
Penalty, I also found some resources on the abolishment of the Death Penalty and
temporary ban of the Death Penalty, this is relative information to Death Row because
the Death Penalty is what leads to a convict being held on Death Row. I also drafted and
typed up my Project Proposal.
27/09/16 I drafted and typed up what I could of my Activity Log which took most of my time in the
lessons and used remaining time to continued to find resources for my bibliography, I
did find a website that listed what countries were retentionist (had the Death Penalty in
law) and how many executions they carried out in 2015. I was shocked with one of the
results in particular, China had carried out over 1000 executions and an unknown
amount sentenced to death as they are very secretive about their records.
30/09/16 Today I finished my Activity Skills Booklet, after I went to the College Library hoping to
find some books on Death Row but unfortunately there wasnt anything, I did however
manage to find a magazine that an article on a prisoner who had been interviewed, he
was serving a life sentence. I also went on the computer and wrote some notes from the
resources I had recorded on my Bibliography.
Toady I filled in the questions on my Individual Learning Plan then after not being able to
03/10/16
find any books I could use at the College Library I went to my local Library and managed
to find one book they had on the shelves and order another book to be delivered to
them from a different library. I read and wrote notes on the book I got called Rope by
Amanda Howard, I recorded the pages that I recorded notes from on my Bibliography.
Today I used my time to go through my project proposal again, Julie also told us to come
04/10/16
up with a strong title for our project. Julie also helped me and said what I wanted to find
out might be too much and to condense it down a little, so I linked some of them
together and got rid of some irrelevant ideas. I managed to decided on a title in the form
of a question for my report 'Should Death Row be prohibited?'. I used the rest of my
time to use the internet to research the things I wanted to find out that were on my
Project Proposal Forum. I found some information on the conditions and phenomenon
of Death Row and some stories on people who have been wrongly convicted, one mans
story I had read had been on Death Row for 17 years, 3 months and 1 day!
I used my time to organise my Bibliography and put times of creation/viewed on the

07/10/16
resources so it shows my work is correct at the time I produced it. I also added more
detail to my Proposal Forum and Activity Log. I am confident that I will be able to
produce a good report based on my growing sources and my interest on the subject. I
am trying to find more sources that are not from the internet but I am struggling to find
books in the libraries as I have been to three different ones with little success. I am
considering buying a book online. I have also found a video of an interview of a man who
worked as a correctional officer on the Ellis Unit (Death Row) for 5 years called Edgar
Fincher.
Today I did some research online and found some newspapers (like the Telegraph and
10/10/16
the Guardian) with an article where they had wrote an report on two different prison
guards who both think the Death Row prison conditions are awful and need to be
Page25

improved. I also searched for more views of the prison guards as I think it would be a
good idea to include their opinions and experiences in my report because it helps
answer my project title, "Should Death Row be prohibited? I also found some more
information on how much the death penalty costs and some arguments for and against
if life imprisonment is better than death. I was surprised by some of the responses off
the inmates as some said they would rather die than serve life in prison.
Today we did team building exercises for the first two lessons and in our final lesson I did
11/10/16
some further research into the sources I have already acquired. I wrote some notes on a
excel sheet I found on the internet about a few conditions of the Death Row facilities in
America and I was particularly surprised to find that some prisons kept the inmates in
solitary confinement for 24 hours and some were as little as 8 hours a day. Before
researching Death Row specifically I automatically thought that the criminals would have
contact visits with family but some have to settle with just seeing them through glass.
The conditions they have to live in is shocking and one of the arguments that oppose the
Death Row is that it's inhumane, the inmates are going crazy being held there, which is
understandable from the information I have gathered.
Today I used my time to write more of my project proposal, I added more detail to
14/10/16
section three. I also did some research and found some information on how the death
penalty (death row) affects the victims family, there was an news paper article where
the sister of a murdered woman wrote how at first she and her family desperately
wanted the "worst punishment" for the murderer (he got life with no parole) but now,
decades later she opposes the death penalty. Even after the tragic event in her life she
doesn't believe in the "eye for an eye" theory. This made me think, does the death
sentence even bring any closure? Is it justice? Or is it just a practice that we should have
left in the past and have it abolished worldwide.
I watched the documentary by Trevor McDonald called Inside Death Row broadcasted by
17/10/16
ITV and made notes on the programme. However there wasnt as much information as I
anticipated as it was not just focused on the Death Row wing of the prison it also
showed other parts of the prison and what their lives in prison is like. But I it did show a
little of the conditions the Death Row convicts live in, the privileges they have, one man
had a cat which I didnt think would be allowed in their circumstances. Trevor also spoke
to them and not all of them agreed that they should be on death row but one stated "I
do deserve to die". It was also interesting to hear some thoughts on death row from a
prisoner not on it themselves, he hasn't even met them, and he never wants to know
them or speak to them because its inevitable they'll die. This documentary was very
insightful and I have got some information to include in my report. I also watched and
was prepared to take notes on another documentary I found on the BBC3 "Life and
Death Row" but it didn't help broaden my sources for the areas I wanted to research as
it just focused on specific criminals and their stories, how they did it, why and media
coverage.
Today I improved my Bibliography by finding different websites for the few sources I
18/10/16
found on Wikipedia, as Wikipedia is not a credible source because it can be edited by
anyone at any time and errors sometimes go unnoticed. I have also found an interesting
Page26
webpage on the Amnesty website about Saudi Arabia and there death penalty, before
reading I wasn't aware of the crimes and statistics, it remains one of the "most prolific

executioners in the world". That beheading are the most common execution method
there and that crimes like "witchcraft" and "sorcery" are punishable by death, which to
me sounds ridiculous and shows how absurd there laws are.
I used my time today to start my draft introduction, I found it a bit troublesome to

21/10/16
decide on three sources to write about because I wanted my introduction to show the
different things my report is going to contain, not just concentrate on one aspect, this
will also keep the reader more engrossed as it will demonstrate the vast topics I have
researched and going to write about. The three sources I chose to include in this section
are: the Saudi Arabia death penalty, a study which shows the American citizens opinions
for and oppose the death penalty and a news article about the sister of a women who
was murdered and her opinion on the death penalty. These resources allow me to write
a sufficient amount and won't reveal too much so I find myself replicating the
introduction for the other key parts of my report, like the conclusion or evaluation.
I finished writing my introduction, I found myself having to find more sources to use for
31/10/16
evidence to support my points, this was a slight set back with time as I expected to be
able to email it to be marked by the tutor, however I was not able to read through it to
make sure there was no mistakes, therefore I will probably send it tomorrow.
Today I joined the level 3 project course after it became a possibility for me to do so,
01/11/16
even though I liked the level 2 group and was finally getting used to the lessons there it
would be better for me for the future to get the higher grade. Although this means more
work to do and I will have to catch up I am more than happy to put the extra effort in to
do so. I used my time today to re-read and improve my draft introduction and my
project proposal was reviewed by the teacher and I improved it accordingly. Joining the
level 3 project meant I had to have a minimum of 20 sources, however this was not a
problem as I have exceeded the minimum requirement already, I also had to think of
three sub-questions which will have been answered by the end of my dissertation which
have to relate to my project title, after discussing with the tutor who helped me form my
first sub-question "What is the death penalty?", the other two sub-questions are "What
impact does death row have on the offenders" and "Should Capital Punishment be
legal?".
I used my time today to go through my bibliography to make sure all my sources are
02/11/16
relevant and to review each of them individually, to do this I read through the sources
and summed them up, forming bullet points of which questions they aid in answering
and how the source relates to my dissertation. This is a tedious task but by doing this, it
will enable me to wrote my questions more sufficiently. I enjoy reading through and
picking bits a part of my sources as I am particularly interested in death row and the
information I have acquired so far is fascinating. Also reviewed a source about the
history
I was able to make improvements to my introduction today from the comments the
07/11/16
tutor made, it was only some spelling and grammar mistakes therefore I am really
pleased it was 99% acceptable, from this I have some confidence in now writing my
discussion section of my essay, as I know I am constructing it along the right lines. I
continued reviewing my sources, but have not completed them all. I decided I had
Page27
reviewed enough to be able to write my first question, I thought that this would be a
more beneficial option as I may need to find more sources whilst writing or I may realise

a source would no longer be relevant, this would prevent me from unnecessarily
reviewing a source.
I used my time today to finish reviewing the sources I have currently collected, as I
08/11/16
believe it is necessary to have this done before writing my sub-questions as it will give
me more indication on the structure I am going to set them out in, hopefully this will
prevent me from repetition and make the dissertation more effortless to read as it will
flow together instead of jumping to and from the same areas. The only issue I have is
although I already have an abundance of sources, I think that some of my sub-questions
will be a bit sparse with information I can use, and currently I do not know what
information I find to solve this problem. However the solution to this is to move on, to
the next step, to start my sub-questions, I am planning to start with question 1 as I think
this is the question that is most lacking evidence, I believe that once I start it I will have
more of an idea on what information I need to collect, although this will make writing
this question take longer than anticipated, it is an logical solution.
I started my question 1 today, which is about the history of the death penalty and what
09/11/16
it actually is. Whilst writing it I discovered I needed more sources to provide examples,
as I already had the information but no supporting evidence, such as the types of crimes
that are punishable by death but no cases to prove that it is in fact true, therefore I
found an article from the website Amnesty International about a child bride, who is set
to be executed from killing her husband. I was shocked as that is the reality. I was
unaware that children were being executed, for actions which could be deemed as self-
defence. I have encountered no issues today, therefore I will continue writing my first
sub-question.
Today continued with my first question, I moved on to the methods of execution and the
14/11/16
botched executions, this meant I had to find statistics of the reliability of said execution
methods, I found statistics from a credible website called Death Penalty Information
Center, it not only provided figures but also true stories about executions that had gone
wrong, which were horrendous, such as one mans leg set on fire whilst being executed
and one when one convict was being electrocuted, the witnesses could smell and hear
the burning, which I can only imagine it would be very traumatic to them and
excruciating for the electric chair victim. Reading the many botched execution cases has
made me rethink whether I believe that the Death Penalty is a valid punishment, as
before I agreed with the legalisation, now I am indecisive. The issue I have had today is
that I am struggling to write an adequate amount for this sub-question, to solve this
problem I am contemplating about starting my second sub-question and come back to
this one after as this will allow me more opportunity to think on how I can expand it.
Thus the next step is to move on to question 2, Should capital punishment be legal?
http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/death-penalty/international-death-
penalty/death-penalty-and-human-rights-standards
I used my time today to write part of my second sub-question, I also spent some time
15/11/16
organising my resources review document as I am temporarily using colours to link them
to one of my sub-questions as this will ensure I use the source obtained for a specific
sub-question correctly and make it easier for myself to identify what source to use
Page28
rather than having to read through the ever growing list, therefore saving time. During
writing this sub-question I needed to collect and review some more sources I found a

news article about a different child bride, which I can use to argue that the Death
Penalty should not be legal as children are being killed in questionable circumstances,
facing years of abuse and acting out of desperation. I have had no issues regarding
writing this sub-question so far and the issue I raised the other day, about not being able
to quite finish my first sub-question is now being resolved as I spent some time today re-
reading what I have already typed up and looked back at my project proposal forum to
remind myself of what I wanted to learn from answering these sub-questions and I also
drew a diagram of what I need to include for next lesson. I think spending some time
away from the first sub-question benefited me, as I was able to continue writing it with a
clear mind, and be certain of what to include. Whereas is I forced myself to finish it, I
may have reduced the quality as there would have been a higher probability repetition.
Q2 Today I mainly concentrated on my second sub-question and finding more sources to

16/11/16
use for it, therefore I spent most of my time doing the tedious but utterly necessary task
of thoroughly reading and making notes on the sources found. Such as the marshal
project website which provides six reasons on why the punishment is so expensive,
which reinforces the argument that it should not be legal and the Amnesty International
website which enlightens upon the racial discrimination involved, which is disgusting as
it has supported the fact that colour of someone's skin determines whether they get
sentenced to death or that black people lives are less valued, due to the discovery of this
information I am more inclined into supporting the abolishment of the Death Penalty.
The remainder of my time today I spent on completing my first sub-question, which I
have sent to be marked, which I will then be able to improve it. Therefore I will continue
writing my second sub-question.
Today I finished my second sub-question and sent it to Steph to be marked, I am relieved

21/11/16
that I only have one sub-question left as it puts me in a good position as if any major
changed need to happen I will have enough time before the deadline to do so. I am
enjoying the project so far and I am engrossed into my chosen topic, which is making it
easier to spend long periods of time dedicated to it, I hope that this reflects in my
dissertation. I have no issues to report and the next step is to improve my first sub-
question which has been marked.
Today I improved my first sub-question, altering it so it flows better and inserting

22/11/16
images. I also wanted to include that some countries temporarily halt the Death Penalty
and I found a news paper article (http://time.com/3740149/pakistan-death-penalty/)
about Pakistan reinstating it after a seven year halt, therefore I also had to record it in
my research review document. I think that this would be useful to include as it shows
how laws can easily change even for such a serious punishment, that events that happen
or do not happen can determine whether Capital Punishment is used or not. I have no
issues to raise and the next step is to writer my third sub-question.
I used my time today to start my final sub-question, this sub-question has interested me
23/11/16
the most as it is about the opinion of the convicts, one of the sources I had collected
today was by Byran Robinson, which is a news article that reveals that the convict wants
to die, although I can understand why he would want to die, there is no life in captivity
and the conditions of some of the prisons are horrible, a reason which opposes the
Page29
legalisation of the death penalty which I had not thought about that was aired, is that
the convict does not see it as a punishment, it is his escape, his freedom therefore views

death as a positive thing, which is not the intended effect Capital Punishment should
have. There are no issues so far and I will continue to write my final sub-question.
Today I continued to write my question 3, however I did have a break from it and go
28/11/16
through my documents to reference my quotes, as this is imperative I thought that
today would be a good opportunity as we recently had a class about Harvard
Referencing. I also created my bibliography to use at the end of my dissertation. I have
no issues, it has been nice to go through my work again and I will finish my final question
tomorrow.
Today I finished my final sub-question and emailed it to Steph to be marked, after I

29/11/16
started writing my conclusion, although it is proving to be difficult as I am struggling on
what to write and I feel like I am not doing it right. I find myself repeating what I have
already typed up. Therefore the issue today is the conclusion, hopefully as it developed
it will make more sense, in an attempt to solve this I will finish it and send it to be
marked.
Today I finished my conclusion and sent it to be marked, hopefully it is correct as I still

30/11/16
think it is utterly wrong. I also improved my second sub-question from it being marked,
there was not much to be changed though it is becoming clearer that perhaps I was too
broad with my topic as I would have liked to include more detail but risk going way over
the word limit. The next step I will take is to start my evaluation!
Today I started my evaluation, I am finding this easier than the conclusion, I like being
05/12/16
able to write what I could do differently if I was to do it again as there would be a few
things I would change such as, being more specific with my topic and providing a fair
amount of supporting and opposing facts as my dissertation unintentionally seemed to
be leaning more towards the abolishment of the Death Penalty. I think that I have
completed this qualification very well, considering I changed to a higher level during and
have worked at a good pace, whilst maintaining a good quality. I have no issues to raise
and will continue writing my evaluation next lesson.
I finished my evaluation and sent it to be marked, I am happy with what I produced.

06/12/16
However as I thought the conclusion needed to be improved, so I have in theory, started
it from scratch as I included unnecessary information in the previous attempt and the
wording could be better, however I finished the improvements today and I am pleased
with the final product, I have also sent this to be marked. I now have no issues and now I
would like to go over all my project and proof-read it.
Today I went though all my project (introduction, question 1,2 and 3, conclusion and
07/12/16
evaluation) to improve the wording, make sure it makes sense and to see if the order
makes the dissertation flow well together, after improving said documents I am
confident with my project and will start my abstract next.
I worked at home and started my abstract as I was keen to do so, as it is the last aspect
09/12/16
needed to complete my report, I could not wait. At first I struggled with what to put in
my abstract, as I have never wrote an essay of this standard, let alone an abstract. So I
searched online for tips, and looked at previous extended project qualification
dissertations. From this it became easier to write my abstract and I got the majority of it
Page30

completed. I have no further issues from today to report on, I will continue writing my
abstract tomorrow.
Today I also worked at home, I have completed my abstract and emailed it to my tutor
11/12/16
to be marked. I am surprised with how quickly time went whilst writing my essay, as
from my project proposal the time scale I had outlined; I over estimated how long I
needed for each component. I am pleased with my final piece, and fortunately got it all
finished just in time for reading week, which is where my tutor will read everything I
have done so far. Therefore when I return to college after the holidays, I will be able to
improve my whole essay from the comments I will receive. I am glad that I have
completed it well before the deadline, as it ensures I have plenty of time to improve or
change anything. This also means that I can spend an adequate amount of time
preparing myself for the presentation, which I find more difficult than writing the actual
essay. Although my anxiety over this is eased, as I can spend enough time rehearsing it.
Read a previous EPQ dissertation today, I was very impressed with the content and the
12/12/16
effort they had put into their project, their work portrayed they were earnest with their
chosen topic, which was poetry and it contained some information on the history of
poetry which beforehand I was unaware of; being keen on poetry myself I found it very
interesting to read. After reading said example I went back through my own dissertation
to check for spelling mistakes, to improve the wording and make sure the content
answered the intended purpose of my dissertation, which is for the reader to have a
definite opinion over the controversial matter if death row should be prohibited.
Today I handed in my dissertation, as I had gone through improving it yesterday, I did

13/12/16
not work anymore on it today. Instead I did these NOCN booklets for the other part of
my course.
Today I met with Anne, she has given me fantastic feedback on how to improve my
11/01/17
dissertation. She explained her comments made through out the essay and next week
we are going to go into more depth about referencing. I am grateful to have received
feedback from someone else, as they were able to spot the mistakes I failed to recognise
and the more I improve my essay the better grade I will get for it. After meeting Anne I
spent the rest of the day going through my essay and changing it corresponding with
Anne's comments where I deemed appropriate, as she states not to change anything
unless I also agree with it. However this is a big task and I will have to continue it at
home.
By working at home today I have completed improving my essay, I have re-read it

12/01/17
numerous times, and I am happy with the changes. Some of the wording was bizarre, I
am shocked I did not notice it myself, but luckily it had been spotted before the final
deadline. Going through the essay reminded me of how much I enjoyed researching this
topic, but also made it more clearly on what I would change if I did it again. I think I am
too ambitious, as I wanted to include so many things. Therefore next time I would write
in much more depth about a few aspects of the topic, or hope the maximum word count
is larger.
Today I started my presentation, I decided it would be useful to create a draft script, as I

16/01/17
Page31
can work off this into determining how many slides I need, and the content of each of
them. I managed to draft my first couple of slides, obviously the easiest was the

introduction. I am unsure on how to plan my presentation, I am cautious of cluttering
the slides, though I do not know if just including pictures and a few sentences is
sufficient. Though I think the presentation would not be enjoyable without the imagery,
my audience should not have to read the bulk of the information themselves, as then it
becomes not a presentation, but almost like a book. I will carry on with this method
though, and see if it looks more "correct" at the end of the draft.
I carried on with my presentation, I have finished the drafted transcript so I was able to
17/01/17
start forming it on PowerPoint. The concerns I had yesterday have been eradicated, as
when I finished the transcript I had decided that it seemed appropriate, this being
reinforced by receiving some advice and researching presentational tips online. I have
made an outline of each slide on the PowerPoint, and began finding more pictures to
include. I have no further issues, and depending on what I do with Anne tomorrow, I will
continue with this.
Today I met with Anne again. We went through the Harvard referencing and I started to
18/01/17
change it accordingly, this is going to be a long, tedious task. However it will be worth it
in the end, I also benefitted from this as I was only going to include a bibliography, now I
have started to create a reference list along side it. I have no issues to corroborate and
for the next few sessions I believe will be dedicated to this task.
Today I continued to mend my bibliography, due to changing this meant I had to go

23/01/17
through the main body of my essay and change the referencing there too. A slight
inconvenience is when I tried to revisit a source, to confirm the author, and it had been
removed since I last used it. Although I have all the necessary information needed from
this, it would have given me peace of mind double checking it. I have finished the
referencing today, and will revert back into working on my presentation.
Today I used my time to continue working on my presentation, I have completed the

24/01/17
first half of the sides with all the information, and pictures I have planned. I have realised
that I will need to add animations, so it is more entertaining for the audience, and I can
include more information on each slide without it being cluttered. Although I will sort
the animation sequence out once I have finished all the slides, as the information is the
most important part. There are no issues to raise today.
I carried on with my presentation today, I have no finished all the slides. I did do some
25/01/17
more research today as I needed more pictures and uncovered a sound clip. That I deem
appropriate for my presentation, it was about a man who has a mental illness. The
sound clip included a police officer communicating to the defendant, at the scene of the
crime. I think this different type of media will be beneficial for my presentation as, the
audience can get a more realistic view of this process in conviction, better than I can
describe or portray with pictures. I have no issues today, and I am planning on improving
my transcript tomorrow, or do the animations.
Today I decided on doing the animations, I have made it so the presentation flows better
06/02/17
and it looks more appealing. I think these were helpful, as even though it looks a mess
behind the scenes- when played it looks clean and professional. I have really enjoyed the
presentation part of this project, as the hard work of finding all the information, and
Page32
processing that has already been done. I also was able to use different skills and
software's: such as photoshop to manipulate pictures, and PowerPoint which involves

forming time sequences and other aspects Word does not require. I still have no issues,
Project activitybut
logI am nervous to present this. As I am not very confident; I worry that I won't achieve
the scores I want, which are the highest.
Today I used my time to go through my whole project, I re-read my essay as I believe

07/02/17
that if I keep going over it, I will find mistakes I did not notice previously. I also made
sure I had definitely completed my project proposal and research reviews, since it had
been a while since I even viewed them. To my relief they were all finished. I also finished
improving my transcript, there was not much to change in the end- just some wording
and moving text around to match my animation sequence. I also emailed Anne back, and
she is going to check my essay and referencing again, which I am incredibly grateful for,
hopefully with all the markings from Steph and Anne, my essay will achieve a high grade.
I have no issues, and tomorrow I am going to send my presentation to Steph. To see if
it's appropriate for my essay or anything needs changing.
Today, after double checking my presentation, which I made some adjustments to with
08/02/17
the animation sequence, as at some points the appearance and disappearance of the
information was illegible. I then sent it to Steph to be viewed, and it was fine. Now all I
have left to do for my Extended Project Qualification, is the presentation itself, which I
have planned to do next Wednesday. This gives me plenty of time to prepare myself, as
this is my least favourite part of the EPQ- talking to an audience. Though I am really
engrossed with my subject, so I hope this will propel me through it.
Due to not being well on the Wednesday I was scheduled to do my presentation, it got
01/04/17
re-scheduled for today. I was extremely nervous before and during my performance, and
feel disheartened that I let it show. As to do a good presentation you have to be
confident, and I really wanted to achieve a good score for this aspect. Though it was not
as bad as I thought, and I was really pleased with my presentation. Although I should
have condensed the information I had included more. I think that my efforts have
sufficed, and that the end of my EPQ is a bittersweet feeling. I am glad I have completed
it, to the best of my standards and I am also sad that its over. I have thoroughly enjoyed
my EPQ, and have a lot of experience to take away from this. For example, before this I
was unaware of how to write an essay properly, and the amount of research needed and
detailed analysis of each source, this will certainly benefit me in the future as I intended
to do A-levels and go to university. Page33

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Adams, M. (2011). Interview: life sentence prisoner. Interview with J. Simmonds. Prison
Service Journal, 196, pp. 24-27.
Amnesty International (2014a). The death penalty and race. [Online].
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facts/death-penalty-and-race [Accessed 16 November 2016].
Amnesty International (2014b). The death penalty and deterrence. [Online].
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Amnesty International (2015). The death penalty in Saudi Arabia: facts and figures. [Online].
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Amnesty International (2016a). Death penalty and human rights declaration. [Online].
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Amnesty International (2016b). Iran: child bride faces execution by hanging. [Online].
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justice-iran-death-penalty [Accessed 9 November 2016].
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sees highest toll in more than 25 years. [Online].
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September 2016].
Babcock, S. (2008). Time on death row. [Online].
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BBC (2014). Arguments in favour of capital punishment. [Online].
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Boyle, D. (2014). Iranian child bride who became a mother at 15 faces execution for killing
the man she was forced to marry. Daily Mail. [Online]. 20 June 2014.
Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2663462/Iranian-child-bride-faces-
execution-killing-man-forced-marry.html [Accessed 16 November 2016].
Capital Punishment In Context (2007). Mental illness and the death penalty. [Online].
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Chammah, M. (2014). Six reasons why the death penalty is becoming more expensive.
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Available at: https://www.themarshallproject.org/2014/12/17/six-reasons-the-death-penalty-
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Coronado, G. (2016). Scott Pinholster at San Quentin state prison. Los Angeles Times.
[Online]. 7 September 2016. Available at: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-death-
row-death-penalty-20160901-snap-story.html [Accessed 7 September 2016].
Cornwall Law School. (2012). Death row conditions. [Online].
Available at: http://www.deathpenaltyworldwide.org/death-row-conditions.cfm [Accessed 11
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Death Penalty Information Center (2012). Average time between sentencing and execution.
[Online]. Available at: http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/time-death-row [Accessed 23
September 2016].
Death Penalty Information Center (2016a). Public support for the death penalty continues to
fall. [Online]. Available at: http://deathpenaltyinfo.org/node/6565 [Accessed 10 October
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Death Penalty Information Center (2016b). Causes of wrongful convictions. [Online].
Available at: http://deathpenaltyinfo.org/causes-wrongful-convictions [Accessed 10 October
2016].
Dieter, R. C. (1995). On the front line: law enforcement and views on the death penalty.
[Online]. Available at: http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/front-line-law-enforcement-views-
death-penalty [Accessed 10 October 2016].
Green Garage (2015). List of 10 biggest death penalty pros and cons. [Online].
Available at: http://greengarageblog.org/list-of-10-biggest-death-penalty-pros-and-cons
[Accessed 26 September 2016].
Gross, S. R., O'Brien, B., Hu, C. and Kennedy, E. H. (2014). Rate of false convictions of
criminal defendants who are sentenced to death. PNAS. [Online]. 11 (20), 7230-7235.
Available at: http://www.pn as.org/content/111/20/7230.full [Accessed 23 September 2016].
Howard, A. (2016). Rope: history of the hanged. London: New Holland Publishers.
Innocence Project (2016). Eyewitness misidentification. [Online].
Available at: http://www.innocenceproject.org/causes/eyewitness-misidentification/
Klingbeil, K. S. (2011). Death penalty: costly for families of victims too. Seattle Times.
[Online]. 4 September 2011. Available at: http://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/death-
penalty-8212-costly-for-families-of-victims-too/ [Accessed 23 September 2016].
McCann, E. (2016). Death penalty: overview. [Online]. Available at:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/death-penalty/ [Accessed 23 September 2016].
Inside death row. (2013). ITV television, 5 January 2013.
Pelzer, J. (2015). Mentally ill murderers would avoid the death penalty under new Ohio
senate bill. [Online]. Available at:
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/05/mentally_ill_murderers_would_a.html
[Accessed 9 November 2016].
Quinlan, A. (2016). Front cover. In A. Howard. Rope: a history of the hanged. [Online].
London. New Holland Publishers. Available at: https://images-na.ssl-images-
Page38
amazon.com/images/I/411bTj7kFDL._SX323_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg [Accessed 10 October

2016]

Radelet, M. L. (2016). The rate of botched executions. [Online]. Death Penalty Information
Center. Available at: http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/some-examples-post-furman-botched-
executions
Reed, J. (2010). Death row lets victims' families down. The Guardian. [Online]. 1 March
2010.
Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/mar/01/death-penalty-
victims-families [Accessed 10 October 2016].
Reggio, M. H. (2016). History of the death penalty. [Online].
Available at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/execution/readings/history.html
Reuters, T. (2016). Rights of inmates. [Online].
Available at: http://civilrights.findlaw.com/other-constitutional-rights/rights-of-inmates.html
Robinson, B. (2003). Death row inmates prefer death to life. [Online]. ABC News. Last
updated: 7 January 2003. Available at: http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=90935&page=1
St. John, P. (2016). Death row inmates' surprising views on death penalty vote: 'if you are
going to execute me, execute me'. Los Angeles Times. [Online]. 7 September 2016.
Available at: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-death-row-death-penalty-20160901-
snap-story.html [Accessed 11 November 2016].
The Conversation (2015). Loss of innocence: the experience of exonerated death row
inmates. [Online]. Available at: http://theconversation.com/loss-of-innocence-the-experience-
of-exonerated-death-row-inmates-42968 [Accessed 23 September 2016].
The Guardian (2015). He should be treated as a human death row conditions in Virginia
improve. The Guardian. [Online]. 16 October 2015.
Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/16/virginia-death-row-inmates-
win-more-privileges [Accessed 10 October 2016].
Stevenson, A. (2010). Oxford dictionary of English. London: Oxford University Press.
Toppa, S. (2015). Pakistan reinstates the death penalty after a seven-year mortarium. Time.
[Online]. 11 March 2015. Available at: http://time.com/3740149/pakistan-death-penalty/
Walters, J. (2014). Prison guards working on Texas death row call for softer conditions for
condemned inmates. The Telegraph. [Online]. 18 Feburary 2014. Available at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/10647442/Prison-guards-working-
on-Texas-Death-Row-call-for-softer-conditions-for-condemned-inmates.html [Accessed 10
October 2016].
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Pelzer, J. (2015). Mentally ill murderers would avoid the death penalty under new Ohio
senate bill. [Online]. Available at:

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/05/mentally_ill_murderers_would_a.html
Quinlan, A. (2016). Front cover. In A. Howard. Rope: a history of the hanged. [Online].
London. New Holland Publishers. Available at: https://images-na.ssl-images-
amazon.com/images/I/411bTj7kFDL._SX323_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg [Accessed 10 October
2016]
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Center. Available at: http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/some-examples-post-furman-botched-
executions [Accessed 14 November 2016].
Reed, J. (2010). Death row lets victims' families down. The Guardian. [Online]
Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/mar/01/death-penalty-
victims-families Available at:
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[Accessed 10 October 2016].
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going to execute me, execute me'. Los Angeles Times. [Online]. 7 September 2016.
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for condemned inmates. The Telegraph. [Online]. 18 Feburary 2014.
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[Accessed 10 October 2016].
Page42

Toppa, S. (2015). Pakistan reinstates the death penalty after a seven-year mortarium. Time.
[Online] 11 March 2015. Available at: http://time.com/3740149/pakistan-death-penalty/
Walters, J. (2014). Prison guards working on Texas death row call for softer conditions for
condemned inmates. The Telegraph. [Online]. 18 Feburary 2014. Available at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/10647442/Prison-guards-working-
on-Texas-Death-Row-call-for-softer-conditions-for-condemned-inmates.html [Accessed 10
October 2016].
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2017

Should death row be

EXTENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATION

SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

A website called Amnesty International (which is a charity that campaigns to end

the eradication of the legalization of capital punishment, as evidently the unjust

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Many forms of execution methods have been used

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

When exploring the types of crimes resulting in the

more. "Under Senate Bill 162, the death penalty

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

In 2015, 96 countries retained the death penalty, however 32 "haven't executed in at

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Should the death penalty be legal?

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

It is unmistakable that the

misidentification is the greatest contributing factor to wrongful convictions... playing a

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

A study was carried out

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

The death penalty is

sentenced to death is the race of the victim" (Amnesty International, 2014a), as a

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

The views of the law

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

To conclude the discrete sub-questions in my dissertation, it is conspicuous that

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Centre Name York College Centre Number 4853

Unit Name Extended Project Qualification Unit number

Proposed project title Should Death Row be prohibited?

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

I used my time to organise my Bibliography and put times of creation/viewed on the

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

I used my time today to start my draft introduction, I found it a bit troublesome to

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Q2 Today I mainly concentrated on my second sub-question and finding more sources to

Today I finished my second sub-question and sent it to Steph to be marked, I am relieved

Today I improved my first sub-question, altering it so it flows better and inserting

Kimberley Mainprize | SHOULD DEATH ROW BE PROHIBITED?

Today I finished my final sub-question and emailed it to Steph to be marked, after I

Today I finished my conclusion and sent it to be marked, hopefully it is correct as I still

I finished my evaluation and sent it to be marked, I am happy with what I produced.