Death Sentence

You are more likely to be sentenced to death if you are a member of a minority group within a state that executes. The death penalty disproportionately affects members of racial, ethnic and religious minorities, as well as those living in poverty. In the US, there's extensive evidence of racial bias on death row. The race of the victim remains the single most reliable factor in determining whether a defendant will be given a death sentence. African American defendants are three times more likely to receive the death penalty than white defendants, where the victims are white. Serious mental health issues are also common in defendants sent to death row. At least one in ten prisoners executed in the US between 1977 and 2007 had experienced severe mental health problems that meant they were literally unable to comprehend the crime they were alleged to have committed, and unable to understand the terms of their sentence and imminent execution.