Death Penalty Ineffectiveness

Is 21st century United States still in the dark ages when lawbreakers sentenced to death were executed? The United States still practices capital punishment, even though most western industrialized countries have abolished the death penalty. In 1972, the U.S Supreme Court abolished the death penalty in the United States. However, according to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), as of July 1, 2015, the death penalty is legal in 31 states, with Texas leading in the number of executions. Which raises the question: has the death penalty really served its purpose? The death penalty has not only proven to be a financial burden on taxpayers, it has also been confirmed to be ineffective

The death penalty is a controversial topic in the United States today and has been for a number of years. The death penalty was overturned and then reinstated in the United States during the 1970's due to questions concerning its fairness. The death penalty began to be reinstated slowly, but the rate of executions has increased during the 1990's. There are a number of arguments for and against the death penalty. Many death penalty supporters feel that the death penalty reduces crime because it deters people from committing murder if they know that they will receive the death penalty if they are caught. Others in favor of the death penalty feel that even if it doesn't deter others from committing crimes, it will eliminate

Why is the death penalty used as a means of punishment for crime? Is this just a way to solve the nations growing problem of overcrowded prisons, or is justice really being served? Why do some view the taking of a life morally correct? These questions are discussed and debated upon in every state and national legislature throughout the country. Advantages and disadvantages for the death penalty exist, and many members of the United States, and individual State governments, have differing opinions. Yet it seems that the stronger arguments, and evidence such as cost effectiveness, should lead the common citizen to the opposition of Capital Punishment.

Death penalty is a constant source of controversy and divided opinion depending on who you ask. The punishment of death is given to criminals who commit severe crimes. The severity of crimes that attract the death penalty is debatable due to the severity of the crime. The justice system is based upon punishment for crimes committed by emphasizing the punishment fitting the crime committed. Countries such as China and Singapore, and United States, issue the death penalty to punish murderers or rapist, therefore fueling the already going debate on how to befit the punishment is in such cases. All the death penalty aims to achieve is the punishment to those who break the rules. The death penalty has well documented weaknesses as well as strengths. Not least of is brutality and finality, some of these frailties lead to the calls for its abolishment. The death penalty is inhumane. Wrongly applied as well as completely unjustifiable sometimes killing innocent people irrespective of the crime. Life sentence of imprisonment without parole or pardon achieves all that the death penalty seeks to achieve without costing the society its moral standing and families losing those they love.

The topic of death penalty is highly controversial and debated on in American society. The death penalty has put many convicted murderers and criminals on the government. Using death sentence as a punishment for extreme crimes portrays America in a negative way. Although the death penalty brings justice to violent criminals, I argue that the death penalty is immoral and financially crippling the United States.

Some may be shocked to be informed that capital punishment actually costs more than life in prison; that is without parole. Many would figure that the costs would be less for the death penalty because of the food, place of living for the prisoners, etc., but quite frankly, it costs more for a prisoner to be punished to death rather than to having life in prison (Hyden). Some state’s taxes differ but for the state of California, capital punishment costs taxpayers more than $114 million a year (Bushman). Additionally, the taxpayers of California spend $250 million per execution (Bushman). According to the nonpartisan state legislative analyst’s office, the average cost of imprisoning an inmate was around $47,000 per year in 2008-09. In comparison, the death penalty can lead to an additional $50,000 to 90,000 per year, according to the studies found (Ulloa). In more studies, they have estimated the taxpayers to spend $70 million per year on incarceration, plus $775 million on additional federal legal challenges to convictions, and $925 million on automatic appeals with the initial challenges to death penalty cases

The death penalty is a controversial issue because it involves a dispute between sides which hold opposing views. Those who support the death penalty believe that it deters criminals and makes them think twice. Some supporters claim that it is morally right and gives victims justice. Furthermore, supporters of the death penalty think that it is the only way to fully protect society.According to “Solid Majority Continue to Support Death Penalty” ”About six in ten americans favor the use of death penalty for a person convicted of murder”(Solid 2016). On the other hand those who oppose death penalty think that the cost outweighs the benefits. They also argue that the death penalty can be faulty at times. Opponents argue that the death penalty

-Cost, it cost 30- 35,000 a year or less than a million dollars for a typical life sentence. This figure does not include for appeals and the increasing cost of health care as the inmate ages. A death roe average time is 16 years costing 3-4 million.

The death penalty is one of the most controversial topics of the country because of its effects on society. Through many different tests, it has been proven that the death penalty has very negative effects on the economy. Other topics include the treatment of prisoners due to race, and how solitary confinement can impact a person. The last aspect to look at is the effect of the death penalty on the victim's friends and family.

"Since 1973, over eighty people have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence" (Innocence and the Death Penalty 1). Statistics say that of the three-thousand six hundred people on death row right now, at least one hundred of them are innocent (Capital Punishment 1). When an innocent person is executed, the real killer is still on the streets ready to victimize someone else (Pragmatic Arguments 1). The most important problem is that when an innocent person is executed, they represent another human being who did not deserve to die.

The cost of the death penalty compared to the life sentence is excessive. Sending someone to jail and letting them die of natural causes is way cheaper than executing them. According to the Los Angeles Times (Williams, 2011) the death penalty cost Californians $184 million a year. Over 20 years, the state would save more than $2.34 billion if they actually sentenced everyone on death row to life in prison. It costs 20 times more for an execution than a life-without-parole case with the cost of attorneys being $300,000 more to represent a person on death row than someone with a life sentence charge. Along with jury selection of capital cases being 3-4 weeks longer and costing $200,000 more and with the heightened security at execution adding $100,663 with many other expenses. The least expensive death penalty trial costs $1.1 million more than the most expensive life-without-parole case. Making lifetime imprisonment the more sensible option cost wise.

Is killing people that kill others effective? The death penalty continues to be an issue throughout the United States and always will be. The death penalty throughout the United States has mostly been abolished. Several countries throughout the United States have put an end to the death penalty. Society should not kill the violent criminals for what they have done because the criminals can always change. Killing prisoners for the sake of killing is wrong. With the death penalty still in the United States, taxpayers would have to pay more money. Even though the criminals have made mistakes in the past they cannot change that they had done. Also, every family that has a loved one on death row are feeling stressed and hurt knowing that they are

In the past years, the death penalty has gotten out of hand. More states have been using the death sentence as one of the major punishments a delinquent can receive. It is not always an accurate thing because there have been major mistakes where the person is innocent. According to a recent study, 4% of the people put on the death penalty are not guilty (Brook). Since 1973, 144 prisoners on death row have been found to be innocent of crimes they have been convicted to (Brook).

There is no way to tell of the thousands of people that have been executed, which were innocent. Since 1973 more than 150 people have been released from prison with evidence of innocence. Studies have shown that the death penalty has zero to no effect on violent crimes, and it is an amazing waste of taxpaying money. They were wrongfully imprisoned due to mistaken eyewitness testimony, faulty forensic science, and false confession as a result of wrongdoing by the police and finally racial biased. That was just a minimal list of reasons a case could go wrong. There are many reasons why someone would be against the death penalty. For example, there are strong religious beliefs that one might have, the death penalty is and expression of the absolute power of the state. As of October 2015 there have been over 1,414 individuals in this country alone lethally executed. In the issue of the death penalty it all goes back to whether the death penalty deters future crime. I feel that one solution to this issue would be to get rid of the death penalty altogether.

Capital punishment has been around for many years as a way of executing criminals. Despite what most believe, capital punishment is not functional in the American society. Defenders of the death penalty often claim that the execution of criminals will teach others not to do bad, initially decreasing crime rates. Unfortunately, statistics prove that thought to be wrong. Capital punishment also has great flaws. For example, many innocent people have been put to death because of capital punishment. There also is no consistency. Two of the same crimes can be convicted in two different states and the consequences with be different for both offenders. The death penalty shows to be