The surge in US executions is heavily concentrated in Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis seems to be using capital punishment for political gain. He significantly ramped up the rate of executions while running for president and then halted them after ending his campaign, suggesting the act is treated as a political strategy rather than a matter of justice.

Criminals, especially young ones, don't weigh potential punishments. They operate on a simple boolean logic: can they get away with it? Technology that dramatically increases the "clearance rate" (the percentage of solved crimes) acts as a powerful deterrent by changing that calculation.

Contrary to "tough on crime" rhetoric, research shows that the certainty of being caught is a more powerful deterrent than the length of the sentence. This suggests that resources for criminal justice reform are better spent on technologies and methods that increase the probability of capture, not just on harsher penalties.

Despite public support for the death penalty being at a 50-year low, executions in America have surged. This is primarily because the conservative-leaning Supreme Court has ceased its former practice of issuing last-minute stays, effectively giving states a green light to proceed with executions without federal oversight or intervention.

Most criminals, especially young ones, operate on a simple boolean logic: will I get away with this? The severity of the punishment is a secondary concern. Therefore, increasing the crime "clearance rate"—the likelihood of being caught—is a far more effective deterrent than increasing prison sentences.

Grisham's most pragmatic argument against the death penalty isn't moral but systemic: Texas has exonerated 18 people from death row. He argues that even if one supports the penalty in principle, one cannot support a system proven to make catastrophic errors. This "flawed system" framework is a powerful way to debate high-risk policies.

Potential offenders, especially young ones, are more influenced by the immediate probability of capture than the distant threat of severe punishment. Investing in police investigations to solve more crimes quickly, such as through expanded DNA databases, has a greater deterrent effect than simply lengthening sentences.

The historical progression of the death penalty in America, from hanging to lethal injection, was not primarily about making death more humane. Instead, each change was intended to make the act of execution more palatable and acceptable for the public to witness, effectively a public relations strategy.

Despite having the world's largest prison population, the United States lacks an agreed-upon reason for why it punishes. Prisons are called "correctional facilities" but often cause more crime than they prevent. This foundational confusion leads to arbitrary and ineffective systems that warehouse people.