Regina Carr

Born and raised in southern California and traveling all across the United States, I landed in New England where I finished college. I have always had an interest in the corrections area, but particularly in the death penalty. Through research and experiences with death sentenced inmates I have found the death penalty to only deter the death sentenced by way of their death, but not at all an overall deterrence of murder. Even worse, there are questions about the guilt of some put to death, or at least the evidence used to obtain the sentence. Texas has a particularly high rate of exoneration, which I find more troubling as before all the innocence projects came about, that gives rise to at least a statistical possibility that in Texas there have been execution of innocents. I focus on Texas, but really would just like to see an end to the death penalty. Victims family members are tricked by plays on their emotions to believe that they will have closure with a death sentence, when really for most of them what would validate their suffering would be more programs to help them survive the horrible ordeal, and not years of appeals and waiting for yet another death to help them heal. It just doesn't work.