Death Penalty Revival: Does It Really Make North Carolina Safer?

North Carolina has brought back the death penalty after a 20-year break, thanks to Iryna's Law. This law came about after the sad murder of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte light rail. The law has some good parts, like making mental health checks mandatory and reviewing how people are released before trial. But it also brings back the death penalty, which some people think is not the best way to stop crime. The idea behind the death penalty is that it might scare people into not committing crimes. But there's not much proof that this actually works. In fact, some studies show that places with the death penalty have higher murder rates. So, if the goal is to stop crimes like Zarutska's, bringing back the death penalty might not be the way to go. There are also big worries about how the death penalty is used. For example, the man accused of killing Zarutska has a history of schizophrenia. The court is checking if he's mentally fit to stand trial. The Supreme Court has said that executing people who are mentally ill or don't understand why they're being punished is cruel and unusual. Many groups, like the American Bar Association and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, agree that the death penalty shouldn't be used on people with mental illness. Another big problem with the death penalty is the chance of executing innocent people. Since 1973, at least 200 people on death row in the U. S. have been proven innocent, including 12 from North Carolina. Even though the evidence against the man accused of killing Zarutska is strong, history shows that innocent people can be sentenced to death. Bringing back the death penalty also affects young people. In 2024, a law was passed that makes it more likely for teens to be tried as adults for serious crimes. Twenty years ago, the Supreme Court said that executing people who were under 18 when they committed a crime is excessive and against the Eighth Amendment. Instead of focusing on punishment, North Carolina should look at ways to prevent crime. Things like investing in mental health services, stopping violence in communities, and giving people better education and job opportunities could make a bigger difference. If the real goal is to keep communities safe and fair, the death penalty might not be the best way to go.