By J1 Reporter Delaney Jackson

One of the most controversial topics when it comes to criminal justice is the morality of the death penalty. Many American states have outlawed capital punishment, though it is still legal in some, plus in federal court cases. As of 2023, 53% of Americans support the usage of the death penalty in the United States, while 47% do not, according to a study conducted by Gallup.

The number of executions in the United States has gone down significantly in the past 21 years. In 2003, the total number of death row prisoners executed was 151, while only 26 prisoners were executed in 2024, according to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC).

This has become an increasingly popular topic of discussion ever since President Donald Trump entered office in 2025. President Joe Biden recently commuted the sentences of 37 prisoners on federal death row, leaving only three still facing the death penalty. On Jan. 20,Trump released an executive order stating that he will restore the death penalty.

A variety of opinions on capital punishment exist. Some claim that “when someone takes a life, the balance of justice is disturbed,” as stated by the DPIC. They also provided the argument that since punishments could decrease the likelihood of similar crimes being committed, “the death penalty deters future murderers.” These claims provide insight as to why one might be in support of capital punishment.

Capital punishment “breaches human rights, in particular the right to life and the right to live free from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,” according to Amnesty International.

Similarly, the Catholic Church believes that the death penalty is wrong and goes against the right to life. In the Church’s opinion, capital punishment “violates the dignity of the human person,” said Miss Sara Greisch, a theology teacher at Marian. In fact, the Catholic Church does work to end the death penalty. Catholics are called to vote against capital punishment any time it is on the voting ballot.

Greisch said that the Catholic Church believes in an all-loving, merciful God. “If these people who are on death row, who’ve done heinous, horrible crimes against people in society, have that desire for repentance, who are we to say that they aren’t able to get it? Because we do believe in that merciful, loving God,” she said.

Sometimes, individuals placed on death row (or ones that have already been executed) are proven innocent because of the Innocence Project. “There’s been a lot of people who have been exonerated under the DNA innocence project over the years,” said criminal defense attorney Ms. Mallory Hughes of Berry Law Firm in Omaha.

Hughes also said that you can undo somebody’s life sentence, but you will never be able to undo an execution. “If we get it wrong, we can fix it if they’re in life without parole. We can’t fix it if they’ve been put to death,” she said.

Capital punishment is something that many Americans have been concerned about for years. In 2015, the Nebraska legislature abolished the death penalty, but voters reinstated it in 2016. The state’s last execution was in 2018. Each state has different laws, but as of now, the death penalty is here to stay.