The Pros And Cons Of Capital Punishment

This paper will briefly cover the world history of the use of the death penalty as well as its current use in the United States of America. The paper will discuss the statistics of how often the death penalty is utilized as a sentence for capital crimes as well as the time a convicted person spends awaiting the death penalty to be imposed. This paper will utilize research from published sources. This paper will also review current death penalty issues are the occurring in our court systems today.

The death penalty, also frequently called capital punishment, is the executing for a crime. The most common crime referred to as “capital crime” is murder and specifically, murder in the first degree. Between 1892 and 1961, the death penalty was used in Canada and the result was death by hanging. The Parliament divided murder into capital and non-capital categories in 1962. It was not until 1976 that Parliament abolished the death penalty. The death penalty or capital punishment continues to be a controversial topic among many Canadians today. Canada, among many other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and almost all European countries have abolished capital punishment. Others, however, such as the United States, China, Iran, and others preserve death penalty as an option. The death penalty should remain illegal as it is expensive, does not deter crime, and is immoral.

Debate over capital punishment is nothing new, but it reaches a whole new level when the accused is mentally ill. The question then becomes… was the perpetrator aware of his heinous actions by knowing right from wrong at the time of the crime or was the mental illness controlling his actions? While being sympathetic to the grief and heart break of the victim’s loved ones, I believe that execution for the mentally ill should not be allowed, because often their illness makes them incapable of knowing right and wrong of their actions. Many of those with mental illnesses often go undiagnosed and untreated, either by choice or by financial circumstances, because of the stigma and general lack of understanding associated with this type of diagnosis in our society.

“The first established death penalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes.” Capital punishment has been used as a form of justice in the United States for nearly four centuries. It was first used by Captain George Kendall in the Jamestown colony of Virginia

Before achieving independence from Britain, the US followed Britain’s laws and that included capital punishment. The reasons of why someone would be executed varied from colony to colony. (DPIC) The United States Supreme Court almost declared the practice of capital punishment in 1972 because people thought it was unconstitutional. The eighth amendment states ‘Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.’ This particular amendment is suppose to protect the citizens of America from “excessive punishments.” Even if the convicted person plead not guilty and stuck to their original story, if they got the death penalty then that is it. This amendment, though, has not stopped the countless lives—innocent or not—, that have been sentenced to death. Capital punishment supporters argue that death is the only option for people who have allegedly committed heinous crimes such as murder and rape, that is their strongest argument. It is said that the death penalty is supported out of “desire for vengeance or retribution.”

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, eighteen states have abolished the death penalty since its implementation (Facts About the Death Penalty). But what are the reasons behind doing so? Historically, public policy concerning capital punishment has shifted dramatically, from required capital punishment to jury nullification to a rise in the abolition of the practice. Public opinion has shifted alongside policy, with more and more Americans disapproving of the death penalty and the morality behind it, citing it as an inhumane and hypocritical approach to justice and punishment. I am with the the more progressive Americans that do not believe in administering the death penalty under any circumstances. Rather, I support life imprisonment or the insanity defense for capital offenses whenever appropriate. Capital punishment is ineffective because it lowers the state down to the level of the defendant, frequently discriminates against racial minorities and those of lower socioeconomic status, and it has been abolished in nearly every other modern democratic country.

Capital punishment has always been a major controversy ever since the Supreme Court ruled it constitutional. Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, became extremely popular as a use of “punishment” for ones illegal actions. The death penalty was first established during 1834 for crimes committed such as “idolatry, witchcraft, blasphemy, murder, manslaughter, poisoning, bestiality, sodomy, adultery, man stealing, and false witness in case rebellion” (Bohm).

Throughout time, the death penalty has been the ultimate price for crime in many cultures. In the United States and for the purposes of this paper, we will discuss it in relation to capital murder. In this paper, we will examine the current death penalty policy in the United States and its sometimes inconsistent and brutal application. We will also examine whether the death penalty is effective in providing deterrence, as well as a policy recommendations.

The history over the use of capital punishment is indeed a complex yet interesting topic. Across the United States the most common option for employment of the death penalty in the past was the use of hanging. Executions used to be a public spectacle in which many individuals bared witness to such. After that public executions became a thing of the past and many states began to use gas chambers and the infamous electric chair as means of punishment. Several western states even used firing squads as means of execution.

Capital punishment has been around since the 5th century B.C., even existing in Ancient Rome’s laws. In the early days, the death penalty was used all around the world, in places such as Rome, Athens, Babylon, and Britain. Methods of execution included hanging, drowning, burning, beating, and beheading. Crueler methods included crucifixion, boiling, impalement, and

The death penalty’s main argument is morality. Is it wrong or is it right to sentence someone to death for a crime. The idea of capital punishment stems back from the world’s earliest known societies (Garland, 2011). In the United States today the death penalty is used as form of punishment in 32 states. America is a country of opinion, Americans have their own outlook on everything and the death penalty is no different. Many Americans feel capital punishment is wrong and unethical; while other Americans feel it is ethical and needed.

In 1763, there was an abolition movement in the Western civilization which included the publication of a short book on crimes and punishments. Shortly after that book was published the United States adopted the Bill of Rights. During this time period, there were five different and significant developments that ended up reshaping the use of Capital Punishment as a whole nation.

Capital Punishment “[dates] as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon, which codified [Capital Punishment] for 25 different crimes,” so it is no surprise that it is still used today (“Early Death…” 1). In the U.S, Capital Punishment has been legalized in 32 states since 1996. Capital Punishment is not as inhumane as it sounds; it is limited under the 8th amendment in the U.S. Contrary to most beliefs, Capital Punishment is not used on every case of rapists, molesters, or murders, only in cases when necessary. In most states, capital punishment is only used for certain crimes. For example, “Michigan became the first state to abolish the death penalty for all crimes except treason” (“Early Death…”

In the constitution and criminal justice system in the united states the death penalty is us used only for the most heinous of crimes. Some of these crimes include treason,espionage, murder, large scale drug trafficking a rape. The constitution states that it is a reasonable punishment and it is also necessary and justified in punishment of crime and the justice system. And truth be told america needs the death penalty. Here are the reasons why capital punishment are good it can save money in the prison system, it deters crime and repeat offences and it also brings a feeling of relief to the victims and the family of the victims.

In this report, the area of research is focused directly on capital punishment in America excluding that of religious and cultural beliefs.