The Death Penalty And The Criminal Justice System

The justice system is filled with opposition. Those who support the use of Supermax, the death penalty and the execution of those who are mentally retarded and juveniles, and those who oppose the above mentioned. The following essay will discuss all mentioned topics.

The death penalty has been a controversial topic among society for ages. An issue often brought up when discussing the legality of capital punishment is wrongful convictions. Advocates of the death penalty say that, while wrongful convictions are an issue, those few cases do not outweigh the need for lawful execution of felons who are, without a doubt, guilty. On the other hand, the opponents argue that the death penalty is wrong from both a legal and moral standpoint, an ineffective form of punishment, and should, ultimately, be outlawed. With both advocates and challengers constantly debating on this topic, the death penalty and wrongful convictions continue to be hot buttons issues for Americans and people throughout the world.

In the article "The Case Against the Death Penalty," which shows up in Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints, Eric Freedman contends that capital punishment does not discourage fierce crime as well as conflicts with decreasing the crime rate. This essay will analyse Freedman 's article from the perspectives of a working man, a needy individual, and a government official.

Having the new technology in this modern day allows us to further our understanding of DNA evidence and leads us to understand the wrongful convictions in the past of death row, along with the use of the innocence project we are able to help those currently on death row.

The death penalty is one of the most controversial forms of punishment in the United States criminal justice system. For many, the death penalty seems like a way to gain retribution, and to help make this country a better place, however there are many reasons why the death penalty is also not a good thing. My main points that I’m going to talk about for my paper is why I don’t believe in the death penalty. Throughout the paper the reader will be able to understand exactly what the death penalty is, the pros and cons of the death penalty, and eventually be able to depict for themselves whether the death penalty is “good” or not.

The death penalty, as we know it today, didn’t exist in the United States until 1976. However, the American penal system has incorporated capital punishment since the earliest settlements were founded in the early 1600’s. The first recorded execution in the United States occurred in 1608 in Jamestown, Virginia when Captain George Kendall was executed just one year after the Jamestown settlement had been established after he had been convicted of being a spy for Spain (Part I: History of the Death Penalty). Over the next 250 years, several states moved toward abolishing capital punishment altogether. While there has been serious push towards ending capital punishment, more than half of state governments within the United States cling onto their right to execute criminals who perform truly heinous crimes.

The death penalty has been debated for centuries. Within just America, it dates back all the way to 1608. In an article entitled “History of the Death Penalty” from the website Death Penalty Information Center, it states, “The first recorded execution in the new colonies was that of Captain George Kendall in the Jamestown colony of Virginia in 1608. Kendall was executed for being a spy for Spain.” So, it is safe to say that the death penalty has been around for a long time, and has been debated by many for just as long. Most people will claim that they are against the death penalty with no reason other than they believe it is immoral and wrong. Those people simply do not know the facts of how the death penalty actually helps the American Justice System. The death penalty prevents overcrowding in prisons, reoffenders, and is cheaper to the taxpayers.

An examination of death penalty sentencing procedures within the American criminal justice system suggests that the legal and moral authority to execute condemned criminals granted to a government has been tested time and time again, only to be reaffirmed by the Supreme Court. While the 1960's saw a series of failed attempts to ban the practice, launched by death penalty abolitionist groups firm in their belief that murder can never be justified, it was not until 1972 that a majority of Supreme Court justices ruled to prohibit state-mandated executions. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, a national non-profit organization dedicated to providing a forum for informed discussion regarding capital punishment, "the issue of arbitrariness of the death penalty was brought before the Supreme Court in 1972 in Furman v. Georgia, Jackson v. Georgia, and Branch v. Texas (known collectively as the landmark case Furman v. Georgia (408 U.S. 238))" (DPIC, 2013). While the court previously ruled in Crampton v. Ohio and McGautha v. California that the application of capital punishment did not result in arbitrary and capricious sentencing, the 1972 Furman case challenged the Eight Amendment, whereas the McGautha case cited the Fourteenth Amendment's due process provision.

Al lot of people will either be for capital punishment or against i.e. choose to write about being for capital punishment because I think it’s far when they keep killing over and over they need to know they can’t get away with it

“Lets do it!” these were the famous last words of convicted murderer Gary Gilmore. It was the winter of 1976 and the whole country was abuzz about Gilmore. He had shot and killed two people in just a span of two days in Utah. Not only did the jury convict him of two counts of murder but they unanimously proposed the death penalty for Gilmore who was even requesting his own death. At the time the U.S has just reinstated the death penalty and Gilmore was to be the first executed after the law was reinstated. Gilmore had two options for his execution because Utah had the firing squad or hanging as the two ways of execution. Gilmore chose to be shot and once strapped to the chair behind the Utah prison he said those famous last words before being shot to death for his crimes. The famous last words were said to have been the influence on the Nike footwear tagline “Just do it” by the popular advertising executive Dan Wieden.

"Two Fishermen" examines the use of the death penalty within the justice system. Share your

I once was a strong proponent of capital punishment, trusting the criminal justice system would do the right thing. Moreover, I assumed that the justice system involved honest, ethical people all working together for the good of all mankind. I often argued the need for capital punishment and believed that it increases public safety, and acted as a deterrent to other would be heinous crimes and possibly saved countless lives while acting as a deterrent. As faulty as this thinking may have seemed these were my assumptions, and like most I truly believed in the criminal justice professional, after several years in law enforcement I have learned that there are unethical, criminal justice professionals that use the peoples power

Society agrees on the matter that crime is corrupt and the criminal justice system needs to find a way to put a stop to it. The death penalty seems sensible and logical in every way, until we ask the question: do we need the death penalty to be ‘tough’ on crime? The answer is yes, we do.

I realize that the death penalty can be a troublesome subject that may have people in this world divided. While there are many people who support it and there are those who are against it. Today crime has turned out to be a major problem in this country. If people want to commit crimes shouldn’t they do the time? But to dig a little deeper crimes and penalties are difficulties that stem from race, prejudice, beliefs, etc. Today’s criminal justice system has a lot of loop holes in it. Therefore, gang bangers, drug dealers, rapist, sex offenders are back on the streets. Lawyers are slightly responsible for why that is. Most lawyer’s will enable them to get away with their wrongdoings. The death penalty is good at a certain extent. I trust