Persuasive Essay Against Death Penalty

The death penalty disproportionately targets minorities especially African Americans. In the United States of America there is an unequal and unfair burden against African Americans in the criminal justice system. In 2011, African Americans were only 13.6% of the American population (Rastogi, Johnson, Hoeffel, & Drewery, 2011). However, African Americans in 2011 made up 42% of the total death row population (Snell, 2011). Although a minority of the total population in the United States, African Americans make the majority of inmates on death row facing execution. Furthermore, the death penalty in many states is used as tool that following the racial legacy of Jim Crow laws. Sentences resulting in death are higher in states with a history of lynching (Schweizer 92). States with a history of lynching are predominately found in the Southern United states. The Southern United states has the highest population of death row inmates. In 2009 alone there were 1,630 inmates currently on death row in the South compared to 226 in the North and only 988 in the West (Schweizer 92). In addition, the race of the victim often will determine the sentence. Results from the Baldus Study suggested evidence of racial disparity in the state of Georgia based on the victims race (Schweizer 92). The Baldus study argued African American defendants who committed murdered white individuals had much higher probability of receiving the death penalty. Prosecutors in Georgia pursued a verdict of death in 80% of their cases if the defendant was African American and the victim was white (Schweizer 92). This is purely racial discrimination and prejudice. Finally, “Since 1977, the overwhelming majority (77%) off death row defendants have been executed for killing white victims, even though African Americans make up about half of all homicide victims (Amnesty International).”The race of the both the victim and perpetrator in criminal is irrelevant.

The moral and ethical debate on the sentencing and enforcement of capital punishment has long baffled the citizens and governing powers of the United States. Throughout time, the interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, and the vast majority beliefs of Americans, have been in a constant state of perplexity. Before the 1960s, the Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution were interpreted as permitting the death penalty. However, in the early 1960s, it was suggested that the death penalty was a "cruel and unusual" punishment and therefore unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment. Many argue that capital punishment is an absolute necessity, in order to deter crime, and to ‘make things right’ following a heinous crime of murder. Despite the belief that capital punishment may seem to be the only tangible, permanent solution to ending future capital offenses, the United States should remove this cruel and unnecessary form of punishment from our current judicial systems.

Out of the 50 states, 26 of them have had at least one death row execution. American people (approximately 65%) say that they are still strong supporters in the Death Penalty. That is over half of the American population, for the Death Penalty. One may argue that it is a horrible way of giving people what they deserve; however, those people may not see the mistakes these people have made, making them not agree with this act. As this may be a contradiction, capital punishments is one of the life learning punishments known. It is legal in many states, but that doesn’t make it fair to all because its blameful, the cost is outrageous, and it’s time that needs to be spent helping, instead of killing.

The death penalty, by definition, is the punishment of execution, administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime. Each state has their own determinates of why someone would be given the death penalty, for example, in Missouri, it is first degree murder, but for Alabama it is intentional murder with 18 aggravating factors.

There are about 121 innocent people sitting on death row tonight. A study by the National Academy of Sciences reports that conservatively, 4.1 percent of defendants sentenced to death are indeed innocent. Capital punishment is abolished in many parts of the developed world, but is still carried out daily. In this day and age, its existence may seem questionable. After World War II, crime rates increased in the United States, peaking from the 1970s to the early 1990s. Violent crime nearly quadrupled between 1960 and its peak in 1991. Sure enough, thirty-two states, the federal civilian and military legal systems permit the death penalty. Its application is limited by the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution to aggravated murders committed

Capital punishment (the death penalty) is a legal procedure which is known as the most severe punishment where the law authorizes execution as a punishment for criminals (Gerald, 2008). Many people claim that allowing such a punishment will help decrease the crime rate, and also give closure to the victim’s family, but if you as American citizens analyze this situation in more detail you can see that taking a life for taking a life is more of a personal matter than justice. When comparing the states that allow capital punishment with the states that have abolished it, the crime rate does not differ. Hence, those who argue that death row has a positive effect on making criminals

Since the beginning of time there has always been the question of what to do with someone that has committed a serious offense that has resulted in serious injury or even death to a person. The death penalty has always been a topic of whether it is humane or inhumane to put someone to death over their crimes against another human being. The death penalty to some is either acceptable to where a person should be put t death for their crimes or is not doing anything to deter people from committing crimes. the death penalty is starting to become less of a punishment and more of a costly expense to taxpayers whom for “Each death penalty case in Texas costs taxpayers about $2.3 million.” The death penalty for some think it should be abolished while others would rather see it extended.

The United States of America is quite divided on the issue of capital punishment, also known as the death penalty. Capital punishment is defined as one person taking the life of another as a punishment for a crime. The death penalty carries a risk of punishing the innocent, is unethical, and is an ineffective deterrent of crime versus the alternative of life in prison without parole. Since capital punishment is the most severe order of punishment, people would believe the system to be perfect before ended someone else’s life. As humans, it is inevitable for us to make errors. However, when a life is at stake, error cannot be an option. The sad reality is that the system of execution has serious flaws and this is why the United States should

In a study conducted by the National Academy of Sciences, at least 4.1% of people on death row are wrongly convicted. While these may seem like just statistics to you and me, these numbers are someone's parents, someone’s child, this convict is a human being. This is exactly why we need death penalty reform. The death penalty has been established for many years. The most infamous example being the “Code of Hammurabi” which was established in the early eighteenth century.  Over the years, a multitude of American citizens have fervently expressed opposition for the death penalty. This led to the abolition of the death penalty in nineteen states, the most recent being just last year in 2016. As many other states move to abolish the death penalty, we must realize why the death penalty needs to be reformed. The death penalty overall is way too expensive, ineffective in deterring crime, and is

When Robert Gleason Jr. was put to death in Virginia on January 16 (he chose the electric chair) he became the 140th so-called “volunteer” for execution since the reinstatement of capital punishment in 1976. In fact, over 10% of US executions have been “voluntary,” usually meaning that the prisoner has given up his appeals.

“The issue moved onto a front burner in July 1997 when Dieter's group published a report claiming that 69 innocent persons had been freed from death rows since the reinstitution of capital punishment in the United States in 1976.” (Jost) The death penalty can be faulty. Some also say that there’s no point in putting someone to death. Revenge, anger and hate will never cure the sadness of a lost loved one. They believe that it doesn’t change the fact that crime the suspect committed can never be fixed. What’s done is done, and it can’t be taken back. Also different types of people like the mentally ill or juveniles get treated differently when it comes to the death penalty. Sick people and children should not be executed. The death penalty applies differently towards different people; For Example the United States has executed more juvenile offenders -- 160 -- than any nation since 1973. (Cooper) Most who agree with capital punishment follow the old Bible teaching, “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a life for a life.” Support for the capital punishment is strong in the U.S. “64% express support for the death penalty” (McCarthy) according to the recent Gallup Poll. People believe that anyone who takes another’s life away deserves to have their life taken. Many believe that the system serves as a form of justice allowing suspect to “get what they deserve.” Many people think that the families of the victims should be able to see the murderer suffer just as their loved ones

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also” (“Bible”). Subsequently, many individuals believe that the death penalty is cruel and inhumane ; however it has many positive effects on society such as , it is economical,allows for population control,and it deters crime.In the since on how it is economical,where it cost almost 100k a year for a normal inmate in prison,this almost double for someone with life without parole, these expenses include - food,dress,water,maximum security cell block,and much more.Not only, but these expenses are yearly, where according to recent statistics it only cost 7000/10000 dollars to execute someone.

Death Penalty should have been only for people who don’t care about life, People, Mother Nature, Etc.

(Slide 1) Capital punishment, or as most of you know it as, the death penalty, has been used for centuries for the violation of rules and laws in society's. But it's use is nearly to at an end in the modern world. England's last death sentence was done on the 13th of August 1964 against Peter Anthony Allen, Australia's done the 3rd of February 1967 on Ronald Ryan and New Zealand’s last was Walter Bolton, 18 February 1957. The era of the death penalty is coming to an end. (Slide 2) Most of the country's in the world have realized that problems can't be solved by a gun to the head or a poison that runs through your bloodstream. 1 third is left, which includes the United States.

The death penalty is a prosecute that is used to kill criminals that have committed crimes that are so bad they should not be left alive. The idea of putting another human to death is hard to completely fathom. The physical mechanics involved in the act of execution are easy to grasp, but the emotions involved in carrying out a death sentence on another person, regardless of how much they deserve it, is beyond my understanding. Knowing that it must be painful, dehumanizing, and sickening. The Eight Amendment says” Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted” (Constitutions). And for the article Changing Views on\\e rate has gone down at a steady from the 1990 to now and that they death penalty is sometimes necessary, and it is our responsibility as a society to see that it is done.