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Death Penalty for Mentally Impaired Individuals

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Should people with mental impairment be subjected to the death penalty?

See the following references:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/12/06/stateline-supreme-court-death-penalty-mentally-disabled/3890885/
https://www.capdefnet.org/hat/uploadedFiles/Public/Supreme_Court_Developments/Cert_Petitions_Granted_with_Decision_Pending/Hall%20Joint%20Appendix%20Volume%20II.pdf

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Solution Summary

This assignment reviews opinions on the death penalty for individuals with disabilities.

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INTRODUCTION:
The issue regarding the death penalty for mentally disabled prison inmates is of major controversial concern. In the matter of right or wrong, legal or illegal, having the ability to display adequate reasoning and judgment in social, civil, and home situations can be difficult for people with mental and/or cognitive disabilities. Should a mentally incapable person's life be terminated when they are not aware of the crime they committed?
How can a state decide if someone convicted of a crime has the intellectual ability or disability to surrender their life as payment for the crime? In spring of 2002, the Supreme Court placed this decision with each individual state. The Atkins v. Virginia decision forbade the execution of prisoners with intellectual disabilities or mental retardation. ...

Solution provided by:
Sherall Wade, PhD
Education
  • Special Education-Cognitive Impairment (B.S), Western Michigan University
  • ZA Endorsement Early Childhood & Parent Education (Endorsement only), Wayne State University
  • PhD, Eastern Michigan University
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