Damaged Brains And The Death Penalty Analysis
Today, courts have ruled that those who have abnormalities in the brain that threaten their decision-making should not receive the death penalty but rather time in a mental institution, like Eastwood. It is said “an inmate who is aware of his pending execution and the reason for it is deemed mentally competent”. (DIPC, “Damaged Brains and the Death Penalty”). We see in Zink’s case that even though brain abnormalities were apparent he still received the death penalty due to the fact that he was fully aware of the crime that he committed and fully could have stopped it. (SOURCE) Zink’s abnormalities caused him to lack empathy and emotions towards the girl he murdered however they did not hinder him from making the decision of actually committing