Rethinking the death penalty through a public health lens: Examples from Malaysia

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Criminology
• Social Justice

Background:

• The death penalty's impact on public health is increasingly recognized.
• Malaysia's 2023 abolition of mandatory capital punishment provides a recent case study.
• Existing research often overlooks the systemic health consequences of capital punishment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the death penalty's effects on individual and community well-being using a public health framework.
• To identify key pathways through which capital punishment negatively impacts public health.
• To examine the disproportionate effects on marginalized populations.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of legislative changes in Malaysia.
• Review of existing literature on the death penalty and public health.
• Examination of case studies illustrating systemic impacts.

Main Results:

• The death penalty creates trauma affecting prisoners, families, prison staff, and communities.
• Prolonged confinement, miscarriages of justice, and punitive drug policies are critical public health threats.
• Marginalized groups, including women, sexual minorities, and individuals with disabilities, face compounded discrimination.

Conclusions:

• Abolishing the death penalty is a public health imperative, not just a legal one.
• Evidence-based, health-centered approaches are needed, prioritizing rehabilitation and restorative justice.
• A public health framework offers a comprehensive lens for understanding and addressing the harms of capital punishment.