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In a nation that many consider the standard bearer of human rights, more than 3,500 men and women sit on death row. Nearly all of them are poor. Many suffer from mental illness or mental retardation. A disproportionate number are people of color. And some are innocent of the crimes for which they have been condemned to die. (Religious Organizing Against the Death Penalty Website) The main argument that advocates for the death penalty have is that the death penalty deters crime, that the threat of execution is enough to make criminals think twice about committing a capital crime. It is irrational to assume, however, that a criminal is going to carefully weigh the consequences of his actions before committing a criminal act. Clearly, by the time he has decided to commit his crime, he has already disregarded other forms of punishment besides the death penalty, such as lengthy imprisonment. He is also likely to assume that he will not