...No Justification for Death Penalty Death penalty or the capital punishment is a severe punishment given by the government to a criminal for offending crimes that are categorized under the capital crimes like murder. When the criminals are convicted of capital crimes and are sentenced for death penalty, the government legally takes life of the criminal by hanging them to death, lethal injection or by electrocute. Death penalty used to be performed all over the world, but many countries have outlawed it with regards to its violation of human rights and religious causes. In United States, most of the states have the authority to give death penalty to criminals. Death penalty is a very serious issue that has caused a big controversy between its supporters and opposers. People who support death penalty argues that it is the right kind of punishment for the criminals, provides justice to the victims and the families as well help deter the crime rates. But I really don’t think death penalty has any justification because there is a maximum chance for innocent people being convicted, it is also a violation of human rights as well as a religious sin to take life of people, and the crimes have not lowered due to death penalty, rather it takes a lot of tax payer’s money to execute a criminal. I rather think that such criminals should be given life imprisonment without parole. The foremost reason for abolishing the death penalty is the wrongful conviction. There are lots of cases where...
Words: 1394 - Pages: 6
...The Death Penalty The death penalty is a form of punishment in which a person who has been convicted of a serious crime is executed under the precept of the criminal justice system. The death penalty has been in existence for thousands of years and has gained wide acceptance in the United States since early colonial times. Even those who framed the Constitution specifically the Fifth Amendment approved of it though implicitly (McCord and Latzer 9). Despite the growing acceptance of the death penalty as an appropriate punishment for certain kinds of crimes such as first degree murders, there are still some people who argue against it on certain grounds. The debate as to the justification of the death penalty has raged on for a long time. On one hand, there are those who are of the opinion that the death penalty is a cruel punishment which is morally wrong and a violation of the right to life for its victims. Others defend their opposing views by citing the wave of abolition of other types of corporal punishment such as branding and flogging and propose that imprisonment should also replace the death penalty (McCord and Latzer 9). However, the death penalty has proved to be a punishment befitting certain crimes such as horrific murders as it is the ultimate punishment. It has taken many harmful elements off the streets besides acting as a deterrent for both the convicted criminals and other potential murderers out there. In essence, it has saved many innocent lives that otherwise...
Words: 2007 - Pages: 9
...For decades people have debated the death penalty. These discussions have taken place at the water cooler in the workplace as well as at family dinners. Some people see it as a barbaric form of torture, and others see it as a necessity of modern life. Most people do not understand the complex issues that heads of states need to evaluate regarding the death penalty. In conference rooms they discuss issues such as costs, wrongful convictions and what they could do with the additional revenues. Even though some people see the death penalty as a crime deterrent, in this economy individual states have to rethink the financial costs involved. Many people do not realize the additional costs associated with a death penalty case. People who are in support of the death penalty believe that it is cheaper to execute a criminal than to leave them in a jail cell paid for with the money individual's pay to the government in taxes. California is second to Texas in regard to juries and county prosecutors condemning people with a death sentence. (Tempest, 2005) What they do not realize is that at times it can take more than two decades for a death sentence to come to the conclusion of an execution. The trial alone in a death penalty case can cost millions more to prosecute. A study in Maryland estimates that the average cost to taxpayers for reaching a single death sentence is $3 million - $1.9 million more than the cost of a non-death penalty case. (Roman, J., Chalfin, A., Sundquist...
Words: 1670 - Pages: 7
...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...
Words: 846 - Pages: 4
...The Death Penalty Lucious Davis PHI200: Mind and Machine Instructor: Michelle Loudermilk October 10, 2011 The United States is still one of the countries that still use the death penalty as punishment for crimes. While some see it as barbaric and totally against American values, others view it as an important deterrent to violent crimes- such as murder. Regardless of which side you are on, one thing is for sure- the debate isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Capital punishment, another name for the death penalty, has been present in the United States since 1608. This is the process by which a person a person is tried and put to death for crimes they have committed. The list of crimes that are punishable by death vary from state to state (the U.S. government and the U.S. military have their own criteria), as well as the methods used for execution. Lethal injection is the standard for execution, but there are several other methods used, including: electrocution, hanging, and death by firing squad. Although every state does not employ the death penalty- a vast majority do. Along with the District of Columbia and the U.S. government, 36 states currently have the power to execute inmates. Through the centuries there has been endless debate about the morality, legality, and constitutionality of capital punishment. For many (and for my paper’s sake) the debate is whether or not the death penalty is ethical. Specifically, is it ethical to put someone to death for...
Words: 2978 - Pages: 12
...Outline Topic: Death Penalty Purpose: To inform my audience on Death Penalty and why they should advocate for it Time: 3-5 minutes Introduction -Greetings -Attention Material -Tie to the audience -Credibility material Thesis statement: , I am in favor of death penalty Preview of main points 1. I will discuss death penalty in general 2. I will argue for and against it specifically am in favor of death penalty. 3. Finally, I will discuss why it should be legalized. Body -Main points on pros of death penalty A. Human life is consecrated and sacred and anyone taking it away should have their own lives taken away too. B. Everybody is entitled to the right to life and so no one should be deprived of this right. C. Death penalty helps to preserve law and order Conclusion -Final review of main points -Concluding remarks and thanking the audience Introduction Hi everyone, I am happy to present to you on the topic death penalty. Many of us believe in the statement that, we should do to others what we expect should be done to us and so when one kills, they should be killed too. I am sure that all of us at some point have heard of death penalty and how many people have lost their lives through this penalty. Death penalty has been adopted by many states and is commonly used for heinous crimes, especially murder. It is also used on crimes against the state such as espionage, treason, crimes against humanity, and violent crimes...
Words: 1480 - Pages: 6
...The Death Penalty as a Whole: What is the death penalty? The Death penalty is pre-meditated and planned taking of a human life by a government in regards to a crime committed they committed. “When it comes to capital punishment, proportionality under the Eight Amendment to the US Constitution means that any state or federal law that allows for the death penalty must specify the exact crimes for which the death penalty may be imposed. In addition, the crimes specified have to be serious enough to justify the punishment. As a practical matter, death penalty sentences are challenged as disproportional not so much because of how the law is written, but how it applies to the facts and circumstances of a particular case”. Sentence Must Be Proportional or "Fit" the Crime. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2015, from http://criminal.lawyers.com/criminal-law-basics/sentence-must-be-proportional-or-fit-the-crime.html . When the death penalty is appropriate and when it is not, people often find themselves asking. In my opinion I do not believe the death penalty is a justifiable means to an end because for one, many people sit on death row for many years, next it incurs many expenses and finally it makes the victim’s relive the experience all over again because of the publicity involve when someone is put to death. I do not think the death penalty is necessary nor does it change anything. A life should not be taken away in the matter that the death penalty does. There are crimes that...
Words: 1041 - Pages: 5
...Denied: The Effects Being Ignored Death by lethal injection, death by electrocution, or any form of the death penalty given that people find to be fit for capital crimes is not a human’s right. We as humans do not have the right to end someone’s life based on the fact that they committed a crime. We have to take into accountability the countless amounts of lives that are impacted by this. Even on the international level, there are hundreds of countries who have abolished the death penalty completely. There is more to this than others think, yet they do not take the time to research or study the adverse effects of what this kind of punishment can cause. The death penalty violates the human right to life and causes a ripple effect that destroys the lives of the families of the individuals being executed. Death penalty supporters can be very profound with their opinions on what they believe is an excellent crime deterrent. In an article written for the Journal of Criminal Justice between May and June 2009, one of the authors by the name Shanhe Jiang stated, “Supporters of the death penalty argue that sentencing criminals to death deters others from committing a similar crime in the future.” He states that future crimes could indeed be deterred because of the continued support for the death penalty. In many cases, people see the death penalty as a form to punish those who commit murder, mass murder, rape and any other crime that warrants death. Supporters of this crime deterrent...
Words: 2025 - Pages: 9
...some do it for fun. I do not advocate death penalty for everybody. A person, who stole bread from a grocery store, definitely does not deserve death penalty. However, a serial killer, who kills people for fun or for his personal gain, definitely deserves death penalty. Death penalty should continue in order to eliminate the garbage of our society. Not everybody deserves to die, but some people definitely do. I support death penalty because of several reasons. Firstly, I believe that death penalty serves as a deterrent and helps in reducing crime. Secondly, it is true that death penalty is irreversible, but it is hard to kill a wrongly convicted person due to the several chances given to the convicted to prove his innocence. Thirdly, death penalty assures safety of the society by eliminating these criminals. Finally, I believe in "lex tallionis" - a life for a life. Deterrence means to punish somebody as an example and to create fear in other people for the punishment. Death penalty is one of those extreme punishments that would create fear in the mind of any sane person. Ernest van den Haag, in his article "On Deterrence and the Death Penalty" mentions, "One abstains from dangerous acts because of vague, inchoate, habitual and, above all, preconscious fears" (193). Everybody fears death, even animals. Most criminals would think twice if they knew their own lives were at stake. Although there is no statistical evidence that death penalty deters crime, but we...
Words: 2037 - Pages: 9
...Is the Death Penalty a Fair and Effective Deterrent in the United States? Abstract The death penalty is the most severe punishment that may be imposed on an individual by the United States government. It denies a person one of their most basic human rights, which is the right to live. One of the purposes of the death penalty is to serve as a deterrent for other would-be criminals. There have been studies conducted to determine if the death penalty is effective in this regard. There is another point of disparity surrounding the death penalty related to the equality of its application. Are all citizens treated equal? This paper takes a closer look at the equality in the application of the death penalty and its effectiveness as a deterrent. Is the Death Penalty a Fair and Effective Deterrent in the United States? The death penalty came to the United States with the first European settlers and continued until the 1960’s. “The 1960s brought challenges to the fundamental legality of the death penalty. Before then, the Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments 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.” (Bohm, 1999) Since the 1960’s courts have been battling the issue of the death penalty. Currently there are 38 states that have provisions for the death penalty. What is the purpose of the death...
Words: 1575 - Pages: 7
...Death Penalty Definition The death penalty is a sentence of execution for murder and other serious crimes, which are punishable by death. The term capital punishment was borrowed from Latin word capitallis meaning related to head. It, therefore, referred to the one commonly used the method of execution, beheading. Death penalty and capital are terms widely used together to mean the same. However, some people have argued that the terms might not be the same. They believe that capital punishment might not necessarily result into a death penalty since the penalty might be translated into life incarceration. Throughout history, people have found wise to repay a victim by death for wrongs committed against them. For purposes of personal retribution and religious influence, death was seen as the best punishment one can be handed for committing a crime. However, this notion has significantly changed over time with some countries abolishing it completely while others have reduced the offences punishable by death. Historically some of the common crimes that were punishable by death included murder, adultery, robbery with violence, apostasy, rape, treason and some military offenses. These crimes are however different among countries. China, for example, punishes serious corruption crimes by death. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Qatar, which derive their legal system from Sharia law, also have different crimes, which are subjected to a death penalty. Such countries are most likely...
Words: 1248 - Pages: 5
...2014 When I look at our justice system and how it works, I cannot help but perceive the death penalty’s main function is retribution. The punishment as a whole is flawed and there will always be a substantial risk of executing an innocent person. This negative aspect cannot be overlooked. Furthermore, the cost of this farce is completely appalling and we should not continue to irresponsibly waste crucial funding of the criminal justice system in this way. Capital punishment is hurting our government more than it is helping. Unless the research proves that it is an effective form of deterrence, we should abolish this form of punishment outright. I do not see how the death penalty would deter anyone from committing a heinous act. This is because someone in the commission of a crime is not thinking about sitting in a court room and being sentenced to death. Many people use the term “eye for an eye” but is this the right way to uphold justice? For the reasons of lack of substantial evidence of capital punishment being an effective deterrent, the wasteful spending of valuable funds, and the potential death of innocent people, I do not support the use of the death penalty. For centuries, governments have tried to utilize the death sentence for deterrence and to keep the crime rate lowered. We must ask ourselves, does executing wrongdoers actually lower the rates of crime punishable by death? In my research, I have come to the conclusion that this is not a successful deterrent...
Words: 1148 - Pages: 5
...What types of crimes should be eligible for the death penalty? Have you ever made a mistake? Have you ever afraid to go to the police? There is no one make a mistake in the world. However every country has law so don’t afraid to go to the police when you make a mistake. Law designed for protect you from bad things. Every country has law related with their culture lifestyle and development. There are in the world around six billion people. Everyone is different from each other. Some of them has good attitude but some of them has bad attitude. In my case those who has a bad attitude depends on their environment and bibulosity etc., maybe some people bored because of their happy life. So they made a crime. Have you ever heard about “Death Penalty”? If so then what do you think about it? Capital punishment, the death penalty, death sentence, or execution is a legal process whereby a person is put to death by the state as a punishment for a crime. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. At this time, there are many countries use the Death penalty for example Belarus, China (PRC), Cuba, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, (ROC) ,Tonga, United States and Vietnam. There are many methods in capital punishment Decapitation, Electrocution ,Gas chamber, Hanging, Lethal injection, Shooting (firing squad), Stoning and Nitrogen asphyxiation (proposed)...
Words: 847 - Pages: 4
...Marc Habbaki 9/1/2012 I.D.: 12090561 Death Penalty Is death penalty served as a justified and valid form of punishment? There are two arguments for this topic with a lot of different reasons and explanations .One says prevention, the other side says there's a potential of executing an innocent man; one says justice and punishment; the other side says execution is murder. However, c0rime is an evident part of society, and everyone is aware that something must be done about it. In several parts of the world, the death penalty has been apportioned to those who have committed a variety of felonies. The Roman Empire made use of the death penalty liberally, as did the Church of the Middle Ages. As history tells us, capital punishment is an acceptable and efficient means of deterring crime. Today, the death penalty remains an effective method of punishment for murder and other terrible crimes because it helps lower the rate of violent crimes, makes the streets safer and provides us a better environment to live in. People will rob, take advantage of others, and commit crimes as long as it is in their best interest to do so. The purpose of our entire criminal justice system is to protect the rights of life, freedom, and property for all its citizens. To be able to accomplish this, the punishment for crime must be harsh enough to deter potential criminals. Under this mindset, the death penalty makes perfect sense because it truly makes a criminal pay for his crime and prevents...
Words: 1574 - Pages: 7
...The Death Penalty The death penalty has been the cause of much debate for hundreds of years. Taking the life of a person for committing terrible crimes, specifically murder, puts doubt into the minds of many. Some may ask: Why would we kill people to show that killing is wrong? Well, there are a few specific reasons that can clearly show why the death penalty is a necessary punishment. Overall, capital punishment is morally justified, protects society from dangerous people, and is an effective deterrent to crime. Some would argue that the death penalty is not morally justified. I do not believe that this is a strong argument in many cases. Morality is defined as the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior. Normally, people are praised for good behavior, and punished for bad behavior. Punishments, specifically by the law, can be anything from a fine, to time in prison, and even death in some cases. Opponents of capital punishment say that it is completely wrong to kill someone as a punishment for murder. If it is for the protection of innocent lives though, then why is there such opposition against it? Casey Carmical, a professional translator who writes about current social and political issues, said, “Executing murderers, however, prevents them from committing their crime again, and thus protects innocent victims. The good, therefore, outweighs the bad, and the executioner is morally justified in taking the murderers life.” This statement is very true...
Words: 1089 - Pages: 5
