...Death Penalty Imagine yourself as a mother sitting by the window, looking at the swing set in your backyard, remembering memories of your son, an accused murdered now facing the death penalty. You know there must be some mistake. You cannot understand how your son could ever do something so terrible. Imagine yourself next as a father whose daughter was brutally murdered, and whose killer has been sentenced to the death penalty. You desire to push the button that sends the lethal drugs flowing through his veins. The death penalty has been the cause of many emotional, political and ethical debates since its inception. At what point do we as human beings agree or disagree with the Death Penalty if the victim or the offender is a family member? Should the Death Penalty still exist or should we keep offenders on Death Row for life to rehabilitate them? With the Death Penalty in America dating back to Jamestown Virginia in 1608 with the first recorded execution of Captain George Kendall, the question that remains today is, should the Death Penalty be legal? With the Death Penalty still in effect in 34 states, this raises the question, if violent crimes are down in the states that don’t have the Death Penalty why is it still in existence? When an offender commits a violent crime, it is the responsibility of our government to punish the offender, and keep the rest of us safe. There are many factors the government has to consider when sentencing a...
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...Impact of Death Row on the Correction System Name Task Date Abstract When an individual is found guilty of a criminal offense and consequently sentenced to death, the individual is held in death row pending any habeas corpus or appeals, and if these fail, until the convict is convicted. Those opposed to capital punishment have contended that the isolation of a convict and the uneasiness over his or her destiny constitutes a kind of mental depravity and that long-term death row convicts are particularly prone to become mentally unstable. This condition is commonly known as death row phenomenon. In severe cases, some convicts may try committing suicide. Issues relating to the administration of capital punishment are vast and varied. Often, talk about the use of death penalty concentrates more on sentimental arguments pertaining to the moral issue emanating from the administration of death penalty. This paper attempts to study the issues that surround capital punishment by making use of the system analysis approach. It shall endeavor to explore the dehumanizing effects brought about by the recommencement of capital punishment. While there are no clear-cut answers regarding the matter of capital punishment and death sentence, this paper will attempt to shed more light on the normally intricate social issue. Impact of Death Row on the Correction System In June 1972 in a case concerning Furman v. Georgia brought before the U.S. Supreme Court, the court...
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...The Use of the Death Penalty A Paper Presented by the National Policy Committee to The American Society of Criminology National Policy Committee James Austin, Chair Kitty Calavita Roland Chilton Jeffrey Fagan Calvin C. Johnson Delores Jones-Brown Mark Moore Ira Schwartz Linda Teplin Franklin Zimring November 2001 The findings and opinions contained herein are those of the National Policy Committee and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the American Society of Criminology. Ronald Weitzer, Professor of Sociology, Dana Coleman, Research Assistant, and Sarah Benatar, Graduate Research Assistant at the Institute on Crime, Justice, and Corrections at George Washington University provided substantial assistance in the preparation of this document. Introduction Capital punishment is among the most hotly debated issues in American politics. Passions run high for both those who want the death penalty abolished and those who seek to preserve or expand its use. What follows is a summary of key issues in the death penalty debate, research findings on the application of capital punishment, and a discussion of policy considerations. The American Society of Criminology (ASC) is greatly concerned with the death penalty and its application in the United States. This year, ASC President Ronald Huff and the ASC Executive Board authorized the ASC’s National Policy Committee (NPC) to develop a policy paper that would focus on...
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...Death Penalty By Susan Doe PHI 103 April 15, 2013 Is the Death Penalty Just and Applied Fairly? The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, is the punishment of execution, administered to someone convicted of a capital crime; it is the most severe form of corporal punishment. The death penalty in the United States has been an ongoing debate throughout history. Capital punishment has been banned in many countries, except in the United States; there are thirty-three states that currently have the death penalty. According to ProCon.org, the United States has executed 1057 people from 1997 through 2006. There are some that are against the death penalty, they feel that it is unconstitutional and immoral. Then, there are others that have a different feeling towards the death penalty; they feel that the ones that commit serious capital crimes should be punished with their own life. Those that support capital punishment say that it is deterrence and that it wastes money on the ones that are doing life. Those that are against capital punishment say that it is killing innocent people and that it is not saving money, that it costs more to put someone on death row. Is the death penalty just and applied fairly? There is no evidence that supports the death penalty being a deterrent to violent crimes. The death penalty is a waste of taxpayer’s money. There have been many innocent people have been sent to death row. Both sides will be argued to give an unprejudiced look with...
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...Is the Death Penalty Just and Applied Fairly? Susan Doe PHI 103 Instructor Robert Bass April 15, 2013 Is the Death Penalty Just and Applied Fairly? The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, is the punishment of execution, administered to someone convicted of a capital crime; it is the most severe form of corporal punishment. The death penalty in the United States has been an ongoing debate throughout history. Capital punishment has been banned in many countries, except in the United States; there are thirty-three states that currently have the death penalty. According to ProCon.org, the United States has executed 1057 people from 1997 through 2006. There are some that are against the death penalty, they feel that it is unconstitutional and immoral. Then, there are others that have a different feeling towards the death penalty; they feel that the ones that commit serious capital crimes should be punished with their own life. Those that support capital punishment say that it is deterrence and that it wastes money on the ones that are doing life. Those that are against capital punishment say that it is killing innocent people and that it is not saving money, that it costs more to put someone on death row. Is the death penalty just and applied fairly? There is no evidence that supports the death penalty being a deterrent to violent crimes. The death penalty is a waste of taxpayer’s money. There have been many innocent people have been sent to death row. Both...
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...Miscarriages of justice are routine, even mundane features of the criminal justice system” (Goldhill, 2014, p.1). The understanding that the criminal justice system was able to prevent innocents from being found guilty has now given way to the idea that it is possible for this system to find guilty those same innocents. This has lead to courts, government and scholars, working in the criminal justice arena to research and implement strategies to prevent wrongful convictions (Weathered, 2013). As such, this paper will explore the topic of wrongful convictions in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States by analyzing elements of each criminal justice system. Moreover, this paper will examine the similarities and differences between the approaches to dealing with wrongful convictions in the above mentioned countries and will argue that the United Kingdom has the better...
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...Abolishing Capital Punishment The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, has existed as a type of punishment for a long time. Although this has been around for what feels like forever, the question that has also been present for that same amount of time is whether it is right or wrong. Many states use capital punishment for reasons such as justice for the victim and their family and to prevent the likelihood of the same crime. However capital punishment does not assure these results, therefore the United States should eliminate the death penalty. The death penalty dates back to the Eighteenth Century B.C. Death sentences were done by crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive, and impalement (DPIC). The Death Penalty Information Center states that “Britain influenced America's use of the death penalty more than any other country. When European settlers came to the new world, they brought the practice of capital punishment. 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.” In the 1930’s death penalty statistics began to be collected on a regular basis. By the end of the 1960’s, all but ten states had laws allowing capital punishment. Due to strong pressure by people against the death penalty there was a suspension on executions that began in 1972 and ended in 1976. Before the suspension there was an average of 130 executions...
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...12/10/12 English Research Paper Section 1 “Should The Death Penalty Be Legalized?” I. Although the death penalty is in decline, the “Golden Age’ of capital punishment in the United States peaked in the year 1999, where there were a total of ninety eight executions (“The Tide Shifts Against the Death Penalty” 1). This was the highest number seen since 1976. Advocates of the death penalty feel that the fear of death will make criminals think twice before committing a crime. However, opponents of the death penalty feel that innocent people are too often sentenced to death for crimes they did not commit. As to any argument, there are pros and cons of the death penalty. Is the death penalty just a punishment? Do certain crimes cry out for the death penalty? Does it violate the United States Constitution? Does it deter crimes? As of January 1, 2008, the number of people on death row in the United States since it originated is 3,263 (“The Death Penalty in the U.S. 1976-2008” 1). II. The most common means of executing prisoners on death row is by lethal injection. Some claim that this violates the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment (“The Tide Shifts Against the Death Penalty” 1). There are other methods of execution in the United States, such as firing squad and electrocution. There are thirty seven states in the U.S that use the death penalty (“Death Penalty Information Center Facts About the Death Penalty” 1). This...
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...misidentification which has been referred to as the single greatest cause of wrongful convictions nationwide, with nearly 75% of the convictions overturned through DNA testing. There have been 260 exonerations across the country based on forensic DNA testing with 3 out of 4 involving cases of eyewitness misidentification. (Innocence Project 1999) In 1907 or 1908, Hugo Munsterberg published “On the Witness Stand”; he questioned the reliability of eyewitness identification. As recent as 30 or 40 years ago, the Supreme Court acknowledged that eyewitness identification is problematic and can lead to wrongful convictions. The Supreme Court instructed lower courts to determine the validity of eyewitness testimony based on irrelevant factors, like the certainty of the witness, the certainty you express in court during the trial has nothing to do with how certain you feel two days after the event when you pick a photograph out of a set or pick the suspect out of a lineup. It has been said that you become more certain over time. (The Confidential Resource September 15, 2010) An eyewitness viewing a simultaneous lineup tends to make a judgment about which individual in the lineup looks most like the perpetrator relative to the other members of the lineup. This is particularly problematic when a lineup only contains innocent people. Research has shown that the effective use of fillers when composing a lineup can help combat the tendency for the relative judgment process to lead to the identification...
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...over 300 post-conviction DNA exonerations in the history of the United States. Although the number is high, there are still many more wrongfully convicted people who’s still incarcerated and have yet to be considered for retrial. Unaddressed wrongful conviction cases show the weaknesses in the U.S. justice system. This paper will touch on the causes that lead to wrongful convictions and discuss possible solutions. The main factors of wrongful convictions are eyewitness misidentification, misleading/unreliable forensics, false confessions (coerced/intimidated), witness perjury, prosecutorial misconduct, insufficient lawyering, racism and implicit bias. Since the first DNA exoneration conviction in the United States case that...
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...| Death Penalty: | What’s the problem? | | Michael Stender (14354787) | 11/27/2012 | What is the good of killing our inmates if the violence around us continues to grow more and more out of hand? This paper examines a single perspective of societies position on a difficult but necessary evil. | Death Penalty: Why do so many citizens oppose the death penalty? In today’s society the rate of crime, specifically those that involve crimes which can be tried as a capital punishment cases, continue to increase; domestic killings, predatory crimes against children and innocent victim crimes have all continued to rise; Meanwhile the public’s belief and support in our justice systems ultimate punishment continue to fall. The death penalty although looked at as cruel or inhumane by some, can be viewed as a necessary evil. Society as a whole must feel that our system of laws is protecting us. Locking up non-violent and common criminals and attempting to rehabilitate in order to join society is a continuing effort and with some success. However, most studies have found that an increasing number of prisoners today are repeat offenders with sentences for more violent crimes. A study recently done found that 56% of violent felons are repeat offenders and 61% of all felons are repeat offenders. The study also found that most are being punished outside the walls of prison due to their criminal past. After the inmate is released he’s sent back out to society...
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...Death Penalty and Politics Research Paper Danica Misic The Death Penalty and Politics Introduction The death penalty seems like a dreadful phrase at first glance, especially for those who are facing it. People convicted and sentenced to the death penalty usually have a long wait ahead of them. Some of these people facing the death penalty are looking forward to their execution, and some are dreading it. What exactly is the death penalty? To some it may be freedom once carried out, and to others it is retribution, a political tool, a means for producing money, or a deterrent for future crimes. It is important that the United States come to some conclusion so we can end the death penalty debate; we want the truth, not assumptions that can be argued to no end. This paper will discuss the ins and outs of the death penalty, why it has created much debate, why it is not a deterrent of murder, and that it is mostly used as a political tool. There have been many studies done to both effects; the death penalty deters crime, or it does not deter crime because the previous studies were flawed. First presented is a brief history to better understand where the death penalty comes from. The next section will discuss the modern approaches to the death penalty including landmark cases that changed the way the death penalty is executed in the United States. Following this section is an explanation of deterrence and its effects, and other controversies that exist. Finally...
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...Abolishing the Death Penalty George L Turner III PHI 103 Mr. Russ Tompkins August 31, 2009 Abolishing the Death Penalty The Death Penalty in America today is a highly debated issue and has been for many years. Could you imagine not having a life threatening consequence at all, such as the death penalty when it comes to criminals that commit very severe crimes? There are many people in the United States today with many different opinions on why the Death Penalty should or shouldn’t be abolished in our Country. I’m one who feels that we should not abolish the Death Penalty; however our Capital Punishment system can be much improved. One advantage to keeping the Death Penalty is that it’s suppose to act as a deterrent against those people who might think about committing a serious crime. I believe that it does help as a deterrent for some people, but not to the extent that it should. If we started sentencing more murderers and serious offenders to death, then I believe that more people will fear the consequences in which they may face. Now, if we start convicting the serious criminals to death, then that doesn’t mean continue to let them appeal their sentence and take years before they’re actually put to death. One other thing that I believe that keeps the Death Penalty from being as effective as it should be is T.V. I know it’s only T.V. but that’s what people see and a lot of people believe that is the way it is. Whether or not T.V. is how...
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...The Death Penalty Is It a Deterrent to Cop Killing And Crime in General Eastern Michigan University School of Police Staff and Command Executive Lieutenant Ronald Livingston Huntington Woods DPS Huntington Woods, MI An applied research project submitted to the Department of Interdisciplinary Technology as part of the School of Police Staff and Command Program. 2 Abstract This paper examines whether or not the Death Penalty is a deterrent to crime in general and more specific, it examines if the Death Penalty is a deterrent to the murder of Police Officers in the line of duty. It explores the history of the death penalty as our country moves through different periods in its history. Comparisons were made of regions throughout the country as to how the death penalty impacts crime in general and whether the fact that having the death penalty makes Police Officers safer with potential Cop killers knowing that the death penalty awaits them should they kill an Officer. This paper was compiled mainly by researching online periodicals, newspapers and books. This is a topic that evokes strong feelings, pro and con. These feelings and responses to certain crimes provide a virtual emotional roller coaster ride depending on circumstances. The killings of two Detroit Police Officers earlier this year proved to be no different. 3 Table of Contents Abstract ………..……………………………………………………………………..2 Table of Contents………………………………………………………………….....3 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………...
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...1986 by Cell Press Genetic Control of Programmed Cell Death in the Nematode C. elegans Hilary M. Ellis,’ and H. Robert Horvitz Department of Biology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 The phenomenon of programmed cell death raises a number of questions. Why are cells generated only to die? By what mechanisms do they die? How is it determined during development which cells die? C. elegans is well suited for studies that attempt to answer these questions. This nematode has fewer than 1000 somatic cells, and fixed patterns of cell divisions, migrations, and deaths generate individuals of invariant anatomy (Sulston and Horvitz, 1977; Kimble and Hirsh, 1979; Sulston et al., 1983). Thus, specific developmental events can be examined reproducibly and at the resolution of single cells. In addition, the short generation time (3 days at 20%) and large brood size of C. elegans facilitate genetic manipulations (Brenner, 1974; Herman and Horvitz, 1980). We describe here the isolation and characterization of mutations that prevent the initiation of programmed cell death in C. elegans, causing cells that would normally die to survive instead. These mutations define two genes, ted-3 and ted-4, that may be involved in determining which cells express the fate of programmed cell death. Summary The wild-type functions of the genes ted-3 and ted-4 are required for the initiation of programmed cell deaths in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The reduction or...
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