Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty Essay

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.

“…Over 600 people were falsely convicted and 35 faced death for crimes that they did not commit…”(Johnson). The death penalty is an ineffective and expensive way of dealing justice to the American people. It is easier and cheaper to send someone to prison for life than to have them face the death penalty and be executed. Capital punishment is an unnecessary punishment because criminals are already managed at prisons.

Thousands of people will attack the death penalty. They will give emotional speeches about the one innocent man or woman who might accidentally get an execution sentence. However, all of these people are forgetting one crucial element. They are forgetting the thousands of victims who die every year by the hands of heartless murderers. There are more murderers out there than people who are wrongly convicted, and that is what we must remember.

In the world we as people live in violence. Violence has gotten so out of control that it has affected everyone. The one thing about violence is that it also leads to crimes. And crimes leads to some people being imprisoned, while others are put on death row. But if crimes are crimes, what makes them minor or major? Who decides if they are minor or major? Nowadays minor and major crimes are being pushed together. For example, someone gets shot and the shooter gets 5 years in prison. But if someone is raped it cannot be proven and the victim is left suicidal while the rapist goes about their day. Both are major crimes but one has a sentence and the other one does not. With this happening in the world it makes me wonder if we as the people

The legality and use of the death penalty in the United States is a subject that has caused one of the greatest debates of our time. There are a variety of polarizing viewpoints and opinions on this issue. Some Americans find that there are cases where it is necessary for our justice system to utilize the death penalty and feel that it is a fair punishment. Others feel that it would be better to spare the criminal’s life and would rather subject them to a life in prison instead. Surprisingly, the United States is the only Western country to currently use the death penalty. Many Americans are not educated on the pros and cons of keeping or abolishing the death penalty. As this is a very controversial topic, one cannot explain every single differing

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

Why is the death penalty so ineffective and expensive? There are multiple reasons to both questions, ranging from the trial cost and appeals or to the 153 people that have been exonerated. Theres also the declining popularity of capital punishment with only 60% of americans saying that they support it, as of 2013. Also a 2014 poll by the Washington Post and ABC News found that a majority of Americans (52%) prefer life without parole as punishment for murder, with just 42% preferring the death penalty.(“Public Opinion About the Death Penalty.” Public Opinion About the Death Penalty | Death Penalty Information Center, Deathpenaltyinfo.org, deathpenaltyinfo.org/public-opinion-about-death-penalty.)

What is the death penalty? The death penalty is a punishment of execution. There are many methods of executions, such as lethal injection, beheading, hanging, electrocution, or shooting in the back of the head, either by one person or a firing squad. Many people have different opinions on the death penalty, whether it should be legal or not. The death penalty argument in the US has left the country divided for a long time. There are thirty-three states where the death penalty is legal and seventeen states have abolished it. In my opinion, the death penalty shouldn’t be legal throughout the entire country. It breaches basic human rights: the right to life and the right to live free from torture. There are multiple reasons why the death penalty shouldn’t be legalized, including, arbitrary, fallibility, high cost, and deterrence.

The eighth amendment of the united states constitution states: “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted” this amendment correlates directly with the death penalty given what this statute entails. The rising question is whether the death penalty should or should not be inflicted given the amendment's purpose. In the beginning of the unit I felt strongly for no death penalty for a couple of factors. One factor in my preconceived opinion of the death penalty was the risk that the person could be innocent, and put to death for no reason. Another factor that i took into account was the extent to which the death penalty is cruel or in other words unusual. After hearing and depicting

The world has had the death penalty around for a long time, doing justice. Criminals who are on death row are obviously there for a reason, and it is almost always because of the crimes they have committed against the public. If we chose to let them live a life sentence out in jail, they will waste away and die as it is. The death penalty is not a crime in the world, or the country, it is a savior.

Have you ever thought of someone murdering a family member? If so would you want them to be on death row? Putting someone on death row creates another murderer which is why the death penalty should NOT be allowed.

The death penalty continues to be an issue of controversy and is an issue that will be debated in the United States for many years to come. It is also known as capital punishment, and although many countries try to abstain from it, many countries still use it. It is easy to grasp the mechanics of the act of execution, but the emotions involved in carrying out a death sentence, regardless of how much the person deserves it, is beyond my own understanding. However, the act is sometimes necessary, and I personally agree with the death penalty because it does deter others from committing the same crime and it helps victims get a “peace of mind.”

“At yearend 2013, thirty-five states and the Federal Bureau of Prisons held 2,979 inmates under sentence of death,” (Snell,2014) . Approximately ten percent of those people have severe mental illnesses. It also costs millions of dollars for every case associated with capital punishment which is significantly more than cases not associated with the death penalty. There has also been little to no research done that actually proves that it deters crime at all. Capital Punishment is negative in several aspects, it kills many mentally ill men and women, it’s very expensive, and it’s inefficient.

Death Penalty laws were first established back in the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty. In modern times when Capital Punishment reached America it was influenced by Britain more than by any other country. Death Penalty is not the best way to punish criminals for their actions because it is expensive for people who haven't committed any crimes Taxpayers. The Death Penalty also shouldn't be allowed since it fails to recognize the actual crime. Death Row does not deliver justice and it’s less painful than what they really deserve for their crimes, this process should be abolished in all states since is morally wrong.

Since the mid 1900’s, capital punishment has brought many individuals into many diverse view points throughout the years. Capital punishment is a way of punishing a convict by killing him or her because of the crime he or she committed. Capital punishment will always have its pros and cons. There are opponents who absolutely disagree with capital punishment. And then there are advocates who support the idea. In the advocates view point, capital punishment is a way to minimize the threat in the world today. In the opponent’s point of view, opponents disagree with capital punishment, because of the high expenses it brings to the states. Also, opponents argue that capital punishment