Criminals convicted of child sexual battery will now be eligible for the death penalty in this state

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT/Gray News) — Mississippi has added sexual battery of a child under 12 to the list of crimes eligible for the death penalty. But some critics question whether capital punishment serves as a deterrent for criminals or creates barriers for victims.

The new law

Sen. Jeremy England, the author of Senate Bill 2821, said the legislation targets what he described as crimes against the state’s most vulnerable residents.

“That is a crime that, I think, shocks the conscience, certainly. Those are the worst types of crimes against the most innocent of our citizens here in Mississippi,” England said.

Under the new law, if a death sentence is not imposed in qualifying cases, the defendant will receive life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Opposition and reporting concerns

Abraham Bonowitz, executive director of Death Penalty Action, said he once supported capital punishment but changed his position. He argued executions are unnecessary when a life sentence guarantees permanent incarceration.

“There is no need for executions when we can throw away the key,” Bonowitz said.

Bonowitz also raised concerns that extending the death penalty to child sexual assault cases could make it harder for victims to come forward.

“Most of those kinds of crimes are by people that the child knows, and you’re asking a child to then testify against a relative and try to get them executed,” he said.

He added that public support for the death penalty may shift depending on how the question is framed.

“Would you prefer an execution in 20 or 30 years, maybe, or throwing away the key and having the certainty that person will never be free? And I guarantee you, when we ask that question of, do you support the alternative to execution, more people support that, even in a place like Mississippi,” Bonowitz said.

Deterrence vs. reporting

England said the concern about underreporting was raised during the legislative process.

“That was definitely a concern. And I did hear from some victims...But at the end of the day, you know, there’s still that deterrent factor. And that’s really what we’re going after in this,” England said.

A recent Pew Research Center study found 66% of Americans favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder. Executions remain concentrated in a small number of states, and many death sentences never result in an execution.