by Sarah Rossi, Director of Advocacy and Policy
December 10th is International Human Rights Day, a day that recognizes globally the human rights to which we are all entitled. It is a call for peace, a call for cooperation, a call for freedom, equality and dignity. It is also a call to end violence, especially violence by governments against their people. On December 10th, when all across the world there will be events to celebrate International Human Rights Day, the state of Missouri will put to death by lethal injection an inmate with intellectual disabilities.
The arguments against the death penalty are well known.
It kills innocent people: since 1973, nearly 150 people have been released from death row after their innocence was proven.It is too costly: special death row housing and legal fees cost state governments exponentially more than life sentences.Its application is unfair: wealthy people are more likely to escape a death sentence; people of color are far more likely to be sentenced to death especially if the victim is white.It is not a deterrent: states with the death penalty have the highest murder rates.
But most importantly, the argument against the death penalty for Paul Goodwin is that in 2001 the Supreme Court of the United States banned the execution of individuals who are mentally disabled.
Paul Goodwin was born into a family plagued by alcohol and violence. He was raised by an abusive father, he acted as a protector to his mother and he struggled through most of his early life. Those who knew Paul could see that he was clearly affected by intellectual disabilities – he could not excel at the same rate as other kids. He was held back, provided special services and scored very low on IQ tests. When he was 13 years old his IQ was 72, a number well within the range for sub-average intellectual function. By all accounts, Paul was seen as “simple-minded,” “slow,” and never grew intellectually past childhood.
At the age of 48, Paul has spent the last 15 years of his life in prison and is still seen as a “simple-minded kid” who exhibits childish and immature behavior. Like a child, he does not comprehend the consequences of his actions and is unable to help his defense attorneys articulate his case. Paul is not innocent of his crime, but proponents of the death penalty will cite his guilt as the sole reason for his death sentence, completely disregarding his mental capacity.
No person should be put to death at the hands of government, but Missouri continues to administer this inhumane punishment with no regard for the flaws in the system or the directives of this country’s highest court. A person with intellectual disabilities should not be lethally injected, let alone lethally injected on a day when the world is focused on human rights and making a global call for mercy. The state of Missouri should heed that call.