Death Penalty Is Better Than Life In Prison

The primary argument against the death penalty is it can be considered as cruel and unusual punishment. The term, “cruel and unusual punishment” origins are within the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed,

Von Drehle, David. "The Death of the Death Penalty." Time. Time, 8 June 2015. Web. 04 Nov.

Heyns , Christof, and Juan Mendez. “Time to Kill the Federal Death Penalty.” Time to Kill the Federal Death Penalty, Dow Jones & Company, Inc., 5 Nov. 2017, sks.sirs.com/webapp/article?artno=378798&type=ART. Accessed 10 Apr.

Capital punishment has been a part of the U.S criminal justice system for centuries. The death penalty has been the most controversial aspect. The death penalty is legal in 33 states but the rest of the 19 states abolished it. There are over half of Americans that support the death penalty while the rest of them believe that it is unacceptable. People who support the death penalty believe that capital punishment lowers future crime rates, but people who are against it believe that it is a cruel and think innocent people could be mistakenly put to death for something they did not do. Capital punishment should be allowed because it saves lives, decrease the homicide rate, and saves more money for the government.

The death penalty, properly known as capital punishment, has always been a controversial topic. People of the United States often find themselves in heated discussions over whether or not the death penalty is right. Some would argue the death penalty is right for a small percentage of certain crimes. Although the death penalty can be used as a tool of justice, I still think the death penalty is wrong because it goes against many American beliefs.

Unofficially, capital punishment has a long history in the United States. However, it was not officially ruled as constitutional until 1976. Since then, “more than 900 executions have been carried out,” (ProQuest Staff). Early arguments against the death penalty were made by opponents who stated it violates the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution on the basis of the process being a form of cruel and unusual punishment. On the contrary, supporters of the measure maintain that it is not unconstitutional and is an appropriate consequence reserved for the most heinous cases. Also, at first glance, the research may seem to favor death penalty supporters and their arguments for capital punishment. In a 2007 article in the New York Times, author

The death penalty is a very effective way of justice. It is appropriate for those who deserve it. It is often seen as a way of revenge even though it is a punishment. The death penalty should be kept. Here are some reasons why.

The death penalty has a lot of pros and cons. However I have found that there is a lot more issues with it. The death penalty is a controversial topic. Some people see it as useful and some people don't. Some Americans think that an inmate put on death row is just getting the easy way out of prison and they would rather have them in prison for life. There have been cases where the people think that the rulings have been racially biased and that people who are of color don't get fair judgments. Also people that are intellectually disabled have gotten unfair rulings as well.

When you use murder to end murder you guarantee murder will never end. The death penalty is the execution of someone, legally convicted for a capital crime. The death penalty should be abolished for a many reasons: it doesn’t reduce crimes, it violates of the 14th amendment, it is only used for revenge, and it risks executions of innocent people.

First of all, the death penalty should be abolished because it is morally wrong. For example, when Richard Wolf was discussing the death penalty in California, he states “...only 13 of 900 people sentenced to death since 1978 have been executed. The majority will die in prison or spend decades fighting their convictions.”

Imagine that you are in court to support a loved one falsely convicted of a capital offense. Against the well-prepared prosecutor, the chances of not being sentenced to death are looking slim. As the judge bangs the gavel, sealing his fate, you know he is innocent but there is nothing you can do about it. In just a few weeks, the cyanide laced air in his chamber will suffocate his breath, burn his lungs, and force him to close his eyes forever in repent for a crime he never committed. The death penalty is an issue in the United States that has left the country divided. Even though there are many supporters, there is also a substantial amount of opposers. The death penalty system should be removed from practice in all fifty states in the U.S. because it raises financial costs for the country, fails to deter crime, and hurts families and loved ones.

The death penalty is the pivot of much controversy within our society and government. Most people deem it a touchy subject, rarely making it a hot topic amongst general conversations. The issue usually raises many a blood pressure and may even have the tendency to end life-long friendships. The country is split on the issue and does not seem to find the desire to come to a compromise. While this is not true, this does not quiet the voices of people arguing for capital punishment. The issue of death penalty is wholly unconstitutional as it goes against our rights undoubtedly stated in the Constitution.

Since the foundation of our nation the Death Penalty has been a way to punish prisoners that have committed heinous crimes, however since the turn of the 20th century the practice of Capital Punishment has been questioned on its usage in America and the world as a whole. The Death Penalty is used in America to punish criminals who have committed murders, or taken the life of an innocent person, and while the death penalty seems like it is doing justice to those who have killed others it is actually being used improperly in most situations, while also hindering our economy and is a means of ending more lives than necessary. The Death Penalty can be a valid source of punishment for criminals in the US however due to the misuse of this power by the government it is a huge detriment to our nation and the people that inhabit it. Because of the fact that Capital Punishment is used unfairly, and ineffectively in our nation it is an obsolete form of punishment and should have no place in the United States justice department.

Bright, Stephen B.: "The death penalty as the answer to crime: costly, counterproductive and corrupting"; 35 Santa Clara Law Review 1211 (1995)

The death penalty is very costly to not only the government, but also society. The death penalty has no benefits at all and should be