Capital punishment, also referred to as the death penalty, is not the best financial option available today. The death penalty has been a constant source of debate for as long as it has been imposed. Most of the debates focus on constitutionality, morality, religion, and racism. Focusing on the financial burden on carrying out the death penalty can help to eliminate all of the other debates.
In the United States of America 36 states and the federal government still use the death penalty. Those people that oppose the death penalty say that it violates the "cruel and unusual punishment" provision of the Eighth Amendment. The Supreme Court has repeatedly agreed and continues to rule that the death penalty is constitutional only if applied in a particular way. That ruling makes sure that congress and state legislatures are always at work to enact new capital punishment laws to try to ensure that the executions are not "cruel and unusual". Due to these laws all convicted prisoners sentenced to the death penalty undergo more expensive trials and appeals than someone sentenced to life without parole. The morality of killing a person is subjective for each individual. A person’s upbringing, education, beliefs, and religion all affect their moral beliefs. Therefore different people interpret what is moral differently. Also, throughout the life of an individual, their beliefs and morality can and most likely will change. Considering these facts and realizing that morality is subjective this part of the debate should not be considered the deciding factor. The same can be said for religious objections.
Racism is often a source of debate because the majority of those sentenced to the death penalty are of a race other
Capital Punishment Capital punishment is a legal practice of issuing death as a penalty for committing the most terrible crimes, such as murder, rape and kidnapping. Another term for capital punishment is death penalty. Executions can be performed by lethal injection or gas, electrocution, hanging or by shooting. In the United States, 33 states currently have the death penalty, including the U.S. military. It would be good to think that the justice system is perfect but sadly there have been many…
Capital Punishment Capital punishment is and has been a major discussion point for many years and I personally believe it is time to bring it back. Not only will it lower the level of crime rates but it may also grant the victims’ families a bit of justice. Capital punishment should be brought back but only be used for the worst of crimes so it will only take place for the most heartless criminals. Although the death penalty may seem like a good option to put off crimes the statistics show otherwise…
When we hear the term capital punishment or the death penalty we often think of people being executed for the horrific crimes they committed. Justice is served. In ancient times any person could be sentenced to death for any charges brought about by their accusers. Often, many innocent people were condemned to die along with the guilty. Now that we are in the modern era, society has taken a different stance on capital punishment. Many countries have abolished the death penalty on the basis of…
Death Capital Punishment has always been a controversial topic in American history. From the Salem Witch Trials of burning individuals accused of practicing witchcraft, to lethal injections for persons found guilty of a heinous crime. These sentencing are based on the ancient quote/belief, “an eye for an eye” meaning if a person killed any other person then he should also be killed. Capital punishment was also established to detour criminal activity and to protect society. I believe that capital punishment…
Capital Punishment 3 United States government needs to go the opposite way because the United States government is in a lot of debt with other countries because of the wars. Many people can be wrongly accused of committing crimes and given capital punishment. “More then 170 people have been exonerated by DNA testing after being misidentified before conviction. In most murder cases there is no DNA present, only 10% of all murder cases there is DNA available (Cardozo).” If America doesn’t completely…
Capital punishment is a legal practice in which prisoners are executed as punishment by the state in accordance with judicial practice when they are convicted of committing a crime what is known as a “capital crime.” People may also use the term “death penalty” to refer to capital punishment. The judicial order that someone be punished in this procedure is a death sentence, while the actual process of killing the person is an execution .Worldwide, this practice is extremely controversial, with a…
Capital Punishment When it comes to capital punishment I am against it. I don’t believe that someone should be killed for committing a murder because that just makes us a killer as well. If I were for capital punishment I guess it would be a way to send a warning to future criminals. Although murder still happens, maybe the person committing the crime might think about the consequences and decided to let the victim free because in the back of their head they think about the capital punishment.…
After DNA testing, Damon was proved innocent (After fifteen years 1). Many innocent people wait years on death row much like Damon, but only some of them are proven innocent after it is already too late. Innocent lives have been lost due to capital punishment, which was first and foremost an exercise of state power that legitimated government authority and controlled crime; overall whose right is it to choose who lives and who dies? The death penalty was started to help control crime, protect…
Use of Capital Punishment Joshua Bolt ENG 147 May, 4 2015 Erin Nemiroff Use of Capital Punishment Capital punishment has been a subject of great debate for years within our country. Both sides of the fence feel very strongly when it comes to their opinions of capital punishment. This form of punishment has been around for years and is very unlikely to go away. There is no way you will be able to satisfy both sides of the fence because we do not live in a perfect world. However, there are a few reasons…
and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments" (Bedeau 2). The death penalty is an unconstitutional punishment and should not even be considered to be part of the United States’ justice system. Although the death penalty can bring closure to a few relatives of murder victims, the execution of those convicted of murder violates basic human rights, can come at the cost of incompetent lawyers and, in many cases, the lives of innocent people. Capital punishment, better known…