Mrs. Stroik

Cardinal Spellman High School

Introduction:

It’s Monday morning and you are reading a major daily newspaper in the café during your free period. You notice an article in the Op-Ed section about the criminal justice system in the United States. The article cites the stories and crimes of a number of inmates on death row, including:

George, convicted for shooting his employer to death.

Iziah, convicted for committing first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon.

Suzanne, convicted for murdering a mentally disabled man in order to collect his life insurance.

The article tells of acts committed by other death row inmates – crimes so horrible you wish you hadn’t read them.

It concludes with the question: “What do they deserve?”

“What do they deserve?” What do they deserve? The question haunts you. So on Sunday after church, you approach your pastor. You want to hear what he has to say, and hope that maybe he can help you make sense of it all. You ask him, “What do they deserve? Do they deserve the death penalty?”

He says, “Justice does absolutely demand retribution. But God’s justice also demands respect for every human life, even for criminals, even if they have no contrition for what they’ve done. Every human person, no matter how evil an act they have committed, has dignity and therefore a right to life. The source of our dignity is God, whose love and mercy never fail us, even if we fail Him.”

He continues: “God’s justice and mercy are inseparable. What does Jesus say that our attitude should be towards these people? What should we hope for them?”

“Do you have three minutes? I have a short video for you to watch. It’s actual footage from the sentencing of a serial killer, Gary Ridgway.”

After watching the video, you and your pastor discuss the difficulty and power of forgiveness and our call as Christians to mercy and hope for criminals.

He continues, “You’re not the first person who’s approached me about this topic since that article came out. I’ve been thinking about creating an informational brochure that we can hand out after Mass one Sunday. This would be particularly appropriate since it is the Year of Mercy. Would you be willing to create that for me?”

Interested in delving deeper into this issue, and eager to help your pastor, you enthusiastically say “Yes!”

Task:

Your pastor gives you some specific requirements for the informational brochure he wants you to create:

He wants it to look and sound good:

· He wants it to catch peoples’ attention and to be professional, attractive, and easy to read, with a good mix of text and pictures.

He wants it to be informational:

· He wants its readers to learn more about the issue of the death penalty in the U.S., including its prevalence and constitutionality.

· He wants its readers to understand the Church’s position on the death penalty and the arguments against it.

He wants it to be persuasive:

· He wants readers to understand what our attitude as Christians must be towards those in prison.

· He wants its readers to be motivated to do something to abolish the death penalty and wants to offer them specific ideas of ways that they can get more involved.

He says, “Feel free to use any program to create the brochure. One I’ve had success with (and it’s free!) is www.canva.com.”

He reminds you to cite your sources (footnotes or an endnotes section) before he says:

“I want it on my desk next week.”

Process:

Complete the following 6 steps of the Public Policy Analyst (PPA) to learn more about this controversial issue and gather information and ideas to include in your brochure.

PPA Step 1: Define the Problem

1. Watch Death Penalty in America

2. Read Eugene Robinson’s article (5/1/14) There’s No Humane Way to Carry Out the Death Penalty in the Op-Ed section of The Washington Post. In one sentence, identify his thesis (the primary proposition he is arguing).

15). Explain the primary reason that the Church argues that the death penalty is wrong.

4. Use this information to complete Worksheet 1: Define the Problem.

PPA Step 2: Gather Evidence

1. Use the data listed in the Death Penalty Info Center’s Facts About the Death Penalty factsheet to gather evidence of the problem, including:

a. How many criminals have been executed in the U.S. since 1976?

b. Does New York have the death penalty?

2. Using the data in the factsheet, explain the following secondary arguments against the death penalty:

a. Race

b. Deterrence

c. Innocence

d. Cost

3. Use this information to complete Worksheet 2: Gather Evidence.

PPA Step 3: Identify Causes

Based on the research you have conducted thus far and your own understanding of the death penalty, use Worksheet 3: Identify Causes to identify possible reasons for which the death penalty is used.

PPA Step 4: Evaluate Existing Policy

The State:

1. Watch The History of the Death Penalty in the United States.

2. Currently each state has the power to allow or ban the death penalty. It is legal in 31 states. Various cases have come from the states to the Supreme Court. Two important cases are Furman v. Georgia (1972) and Gregg v. Georgia (1976). Read about these cases here and complete the questions found at the end of the article.

The Church:

3. What are the three purposes of punishment? Read CCC 2266. Evaluate the use of the death penalty according to the purposes of punishment and teaching of the Church on dignity, mercy, and forgiveness.

4. What does the Church say about the use of the death penalty? Read CCC 2267 and watch Catholic Teaching on the Death Penalty.

Public Opinion:

5. Consider the court of public opinion. How are Americans’ attitudes about the death penalty changing? Read survey results from DeathPenaltyInfo.org and watch Should There Be a Death Penalty? The People Speak.

6. Use the information that you have gathered about current policies and public opinion to complete Worksheet 4: Evaluate Existing Policy.

PPA Step 5: Develop Solutions

Pope Francis has called for a worldwide ban on the death penalty. In the U.S., this would require the death penalty as an institution – not just the way in which is administered – to be deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Execution itself – in any manner and for any crime – would need to be considered “cruel and unjust” punishment.

In this Social Justice course, we have learned that solutions (“action”) take two forms: charity and justice. Charity involves responding to the immediate needs of people who are suffering an injustice, while justice includes works which aim to end the injustice all together. Works of justice include our efforts to influence public policy.

1. Based on what you have learned, explain how the death penalty is an injustice.

2. Identify three works of charity which can directly help a criminal in prison or their family.

3. Identify three works of justice that you can perform to help bring about the abolition of the death penalty in the U.S.

4. Complete Worksheet 5: Develop Solutions.

PPA Step 6: Select the Best Solution

1. Some actions are more feasible and effective than others. Which justice activity will be most feasible and effective in contributing to the abolition of the death penalty? Complete Worksheet 6: Select the Best Solution.

Evaluation:

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Information - General Issue	Accurately, clearly, and concisely explains the death penalty issue in the U.S., including its prevalence and constitutionality.	Accurately explains the death penalty issue in the U.S. but is not clear and/or is either too concise or not concise enough.	Explanation is not clear and/or is either too concise or not concise enough. Information is not accurate and/or lacks important details.	Does not adequately explain the death penalty issue in the U.S.
Information - Arguments	Accurately, clearly, and concisely explains the primary and secondary arguments against the death penalty.	Accurately explains the arguments but is not clear and/or is either too concise or not concise enough.	Explanation is not clear and/or is either too concise or not concise enough. Information is not accurate and/or lacks important details.	Does not adequately explain the arguments against the death penalty.
Information - Church Teaching	Accurately, clearly, and concisely explains the Church’s position on the death penalty.	Accurately explains the Church's position but is not clear and/or is either too concise or not concise enough.	Explanation is not clear and/or is either too concise or not concise enough. Information is not accurate and/or lacks important details.	Does not adequately explain the Church's position on the death penalty.
Persuasiveness	Accurately, clearly, and concisely explains what our attitude as Christians must be towards those in prison.	Accurately explains what our attitude must be but is not clear and/or is either too concise or not concise enough.	Explanation is not clear and/or is either too concise or not concise enough. Information is not accurate and/or lacks important details.	Does not adequately explain what our attitude as Christians must be towards those in prison.
Motivation	Motivational and offers and number (3+ of each) of specific examples of works of charity and justice.	Is not motivational or examples are lacking in detail or number.	Is not motivational and examples are lacking in detail or number.	Does not adequately motivate. Does not offer satisfactory examples.
Writing - Grammar	There are no grammatical, spelling, or mechanical mistakes in the brochure.	There are 1-2 grammatical, spelling, and/or mechanical mistakes in the brochure.	There are several grammatical, spelling, and/or mechanical mistakes in the brochure.	Grammar, spelling, and mechanics are poor.
Attractiveness & Organization	The brochure has exceptionally attractive formatting and well-organized information.	The brochure has attractive formatting and well-organized information.	The brochure has well-organized information or attractive formatting.	The brochure's formatting and organization of material are confusing to the reader.
Sources	Careful and accurate records are kept to document the source of 95-100% of the facts and graphics in the brochure.	Careful and accurate records are kept to document the source of 94-85% of the facts and graphics in the brochure.	Careful and accurate records are kept to document the source of 84-75% of the facts and graphics in the brochure.	Sources are not documented accurately or are not kept on many facts and graphics.
Graphics/Pictures	Graphics go well with the text and there is a good mix of text and graphics.	Graphics go well with the text, but there are so many that they distract from the text.	Graphics go well with the text, but there are too few and the brochure seems "text-heavy".	Graphics do not go with the accompanying text or appear to be randomly chosen.

Conclusion:

In completing this WebQuest you have learned that justice is not merely about the punishment criminals deserve for their crimes. Because of justice, criminals also deserve respect. Every human person, no matter how evil an act they have committed, has dignity and therefore a right to life. The source of our dignity is God, whose love and mercy never fail us, even if we fail Him. The death penalty is an injustice because it is taking the life of a human person who is loved by God. The death penalty contradicts God’s plan for man and society and must be abolished.