Essay on Capital Punishment

Keeping a prisoner in jail for life will be very expensive considering that it costs $80,000 a year; and the bad news is that the money comes from the taxpayer's pocket. Thousands of people will attack the death penalty. They will give emotional speeches about the one innocent man who might be executed. However, all of these people are forgetting one crucial element. They are forgetting the thousands of victims who die every year. This may sound awkward, but the death penalty saves lives. It saves lives because it stops those who murder from ever murdering again (Bryant). These opinions represent some of the strongest and most influential views that proponents hold. However, if our prison system could rehabilitate more effectively, perhaps those who murdered once, could change.

Since the earliest times, man has struggled with the concept of justice. The controversy of capital punishment has weighed on the minds of humans since the beginning. When we are wronged it is our natural instinct to demand compensation. This thirst for revenge can be seen in the earliest civilizations and societies. Ancient Hammurabi code states “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” (History of the World). For many people this little axiom seems fair. Others however, think otherwise and warn of a blind and toothless community. What is it about capital punishment that divides so many Americans? Is it the possibility of an innocent man being executed too much of a risk? Should our current

As far back as one can look into human civilization, justice for a murder victim has always been by taking the life of the killer. In today’s society capital punishment is needed to defend it from further harm, bring justice and/or vengeance to the victims of the loved ones, and encourage psychological deterrence. As of today, there are thirty-two states which offer the only just punishment for a crime without parallel and eighteen states having abolished the death penalty.

Retribution has also been a goal for punishment. Logically if a killer is put to death then it should somewhat stop killings since it sends this message. The

“Capital punishment is literally a life-and-death issue. Sometimes called the death penalty, it is the execution of people who have been found guilty of offenses considered to be capital crimes. In 2015, twenty-eight people (including one woman) were executed in the United States” (“Capital Punishment, Par. 1). During the 15th century in England, there were seven capitals crimes, the crimes included treason, murder, larceny, burglary, rape, and arson. However, currently in the United States, murder is the only capital crime that Supreme Court punishes by death. (“Capital Punishment,” Encyclopedia). Capital punishment serves as a deterrent to those contemplating committing a capital crime because the consequence is so severe.

Many strong cases can be made in principle for and against capital punishment. The argument that is in favor is based on justice, and the nature of a moral community, which requires that each person has to respect the life and liberty of others. Those who commit vicious crimes immediately

During the past three decades capital punishment has been a very controversial issue in the United States. 1972 the U.S. Supreme Court decided in Furman v. Georgia that the death penalty was unconstitutional because it was a form of "cruel and unusual punishment." However, this decision did not last long; in July 1975 the Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment did not violate any parts of the Constitution. Executions as they had before 1972 resumed again. Since then 180 prisoners have been executed. The United States Supreme Court should abolish the death penalty because it is a form of "cruel and unusual punishment."

The question of capital punishment has been stirring heated debate in regards to whether it indeed does or doesn’t deter crimes. It is important before venturing deeper to understand what death penalty/capital punishment is. Capital punishment refers to a legal course of action where the state puts one to death as a punishment for a crime. The decree by the judiciary for a

Is it sincerely worth it to take a person’s life if it cost more to kill someone rather than keeping them alive? A couple of articles have provided information on specifics over the cost of capital punishment. According to authors Reams and Putnam, the cost of incarnation for inmates average up to “$33,100 a year” he further adds to inform how a murder case can rise up to a price of “proximally two million dollars, not to forget that the cost of a lawsuit continues for a long a time.” Reams and Putnam illustrate that keeping an inmate alive cost more that executing them. An article was written by Robert Bohm that also informs us with the same beliefs as Reams and Putnam, which notify the readers that it “cost more to keep an inmate alive due to the living expenses such as feeding, housing, and providing for other needs.” Bohm also claims “the cost of locking a criminal for life cost up to $622,000.” However, even though Ream and Putnam argued that it cost more to keep an inmate alive, Bohm reasoned the readers that the cost per execution on an inmate can “rise up to two million dollars” he furthermore updates on the amount of money that taxpayers pay for death penalty per state, “California taxpayers pay 137 million, New Jersey pays 253 million, Indiana pays 741,000, Kansas 1.2 million, and Maryland pays 186 million.”(Bohm) Both articles together indicate that being sent on death row averages to a higher expense than being put in prison for

Does taking another’s life actually avenge that of another? The disciplinary act of capital punishment, punishment through death, has been a major debate in the United States for years. Those in support of capital punishment believe that it is an end to the reoccurrence of a repeat murderer. The public has, for many years, been in favor of this few and pro-death penalty. Yet as time goes on, records show a decrease in the public and the state’s support of the continuation of capital punishment. Those against capital punishment believe it is an immoral, spends taxpayers’ money improperly, and does not enforce a way to rehabilitate criminals and/or warn off future crimes.

Criminal law is imposed by almost every nation in the world to reduce crime rate and maintain law and order of the society. An individual who found guilty of a crime will have to face corresponding punishments. Among all penalties, capital punishment is considered to be the most severe and cruelest one which takes away criminal’s most valuable right in the world, that is, right to live. It is a heated debate for centuries whether capital punishment should be completely abolished world widely. The world seems to have mixed opinion regarding this issue. According to Amnesty International (2010), currently, 97 countries in the world have already abolished capital punishment while only 58 nations still actively adopt death penalty.

Should one person have the right to end another human's life? It is a question most people have the answer for when it comes to capital punishment. Capital punishment is known to some people one of the cruelest punishment to humanity. Some people believe giving a person the death penalty doe's not solve anything. While other's believe it is payback to the criminal for the crime they have committed. There have been 13,000 people executed since the colonial times, among 1900 and 1985 there were 139 innocent people sentence to death only 23 were executed. In 1967 lack of support and legal challenges cut the execution rate to zero bringing the practice to a complete end by 1972. Although the supreme court authorized its resumption in 1976

In society there many things that are debated among the people based on their beliefs, morals, and values. For this paper chose the death penalty because it is one of the highly debated topics in not only today’s society but also in the past. The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, it used as a procedure of retaliation against those who commit violent crimes such as murder and other capital crimes. There are many forms of this punishment, for instance, the electric chair, lethal injections, and the firing squad. There are many feelings and arguments in relation to capital punishment. Some people believe that the death penalty is moral because they deserve it and it provides protection to the society. However, in this paper I will argue that capital punishment is totally immoral because it is not fair, is it unnecessary, and unethical.

Capital punishment is the execution of a perpetrator for committing a heinous crime (homicide), and it is a hotly debated topic in our society. The basic issue is whether capital punishment should be allowed as it is today, or abolished in part or in whole. My argument is that:

Capital punishment is beneficial to the community. It provides the society with a sense of security. The death penalty contains a positive influence on the future. A heavily debated topic is, “Does capital punishment deter people more than a life sentence to prison?” An explanation on why will be covered later. An issues many people have with capital punishment, is when it is just or not just. This is a topic many stray away from, because it is difficult to decide. Finding the right consequence for an action is difficult. While this paper is for the use of capital punishment, it is clearly not needed for every crime, or even every murder. Overusing capital punishment, such as using it for every murder, will negatively impact the country, and not using it has the same effect.