By killing felons, the death penalty removes the burden of housing them within the penitentiary system. Prison overcrowding and overstretched resources are key issues in prisons in many countries. Due to the severity of prisoners’ crimes on death row format a cover letter for email, it costs much more to feed, house, and seclude these often dangerous inmates than if they were simply put to death. And if they were paroled, there is always the chance they could re-offend, which is completely eliminated with the death penalty. The concept of retribution, that the perpetrator is punished in a manner fitting to the crime, is also used to support the death penalty. The Death Penalty: Pro There are many arguments against the death penalty that are both practical and ethical. It is very difficult to know the exact moral status of the death penalty, though many see it to be a degrading, barbaric, and amoral. The opponents of the death penalty argue that it causes incredible suffering and pain for the sentenced and brutalizes society as a whole where it operates. Both of these factors could have negative effects on crime and criminality. The vast majority of people would at least argue that human life is highly valuable and should be preserved pay someone to do my university work, though the extent at which preservation should make-way for retribution is where things become very debatable. ( as cited in Carrington, 1978. p. 87). Death Penalty Fails to Rehabilitate for hire, where the possible penalty of death may well enter In an interview with Professor van den Haag, a psychoanalyst and adjunct professor at New York University, was questioned, “Why do you favor the death penalty?” His answer was that the Federal prison had a man sentenced to Life who, since he has been in prison committed three more murders on three separate occasions .They were prison guards and inmates. There’s no more punishment he can receive, therefore, in many cases, the death penalty is the only penalty that can deter. He went on saying “I hold life sacred, and because I hold it sacred, I feel that anyone who takes some one’s life should know that thereby he forsakes his own and does not just suffer an inconvenience about being put into prison for sometime (as cited in Isenberg, 1977 how to make a reviewer, p. 135) Death Penalty Deterrent Effect Today, one of the most debated issues in the Criminal Justice System is the issue of capital punishment or the death penalty. Capital punishment was legal until 1972, when the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional in Furman v. Georgia stating that it violated the Eight and Fourteen Amendments citing cruel and unusual punishment. However, in 1976, the Supreme Court reversed itself with Gregg v. Georgia and reinstated the death penalty but not all states have the death penalty. I heard on the news last month, February 2000, where a 62 year-old grandmother, Betty Beets, was pleading for her life because she was on death row and was going to be executed. At first, I felt very sorry for her, but after doing research on her, I learned she had five husbands. She had already killed the fourth one best compare contrast essay topics, and served a prison sentence for murder, and she got out of prison early. She murdered the fifth husband-she shot him, and buried him in her back yard. Betty Beets was imprisoned a second time, and now was pleading for her life? It has been proven these killers do it again and again. The rate of recidivism is high for people who commit murder and crimes. I feel murderers should be executed the first time because chances are they will come out of prison and kill another innocent person again. We need stricter laws and swift death penalty. Thirteen states do not have the death penalty: Alaska, District of Colombia, Hawaii, Iowa, Main, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. In arguments of the death penalty, there are two lives to think about. Too much emphasis is placed on the convicted murderer, the one being executed, and the victim is all forgotten. Could the same effect be achieved by putting the criminal in prison for life? “Life in prison” means in six months the parole board can release the man to 12 years in some states. “But even if it were real life imprisonment, it’s deterrent effect will never be as great as that of the death penalty. The death penalty is the only actually irrevocable penalty. Because of that, it is the one that people fear the most (Isenberg, I. 1977). DEATH PENALTY ARGUMENTS: Death is one penalty which makes error irreversible and the chance of error is inescapable when based on human judgment. On the contrary, sometimes defendants insist on execution. They feel it is an act of kindness to them. The argument here is - Is life imprisonment a crueler fate?” Is there evidence supporting the usefulness of the death penalty securing the life of the citizens (McClellan, G. 1961)? such as those who act in passion, for whom the threat of empirical evidence supporting or refuting this view. miscarriage of justice that must be opposed whenever Grant McClellan (1961) claims: deterrent than lesser penalties, there is no convincing Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, and Virginia - all of them Death Penalty Saves Lives enforce the death penalty. The fact is that fear of the The American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU) is working for a moratorium on executions and to put an end to state-sanctioned murder in the United States. They claim it is very disturbing to anyone who values human life. Crime growth has been going up in the past because of too much leniency going hand in hand with the increased rate of people being victimized. There are many loop holes devised for offenders, and because of that crime rate has increased drastically. Between l960 to 1968 crime rate increased 11 times. More and more people are being murdered, raped, assaulted, kidnapped, and robbed, etc. (Isenberg, I. 1997). by it, the activity is warranted. Most human activities like My research on issues on the death penalty is one of the most debatable in the criminal justice system. Today, there are many pros and cons to this death penalty issues. However, if people weigh the arguments properly, and have empathy for the victims, they will be more inclined to favor capital punishment. As a matter of fact, most people in the U.S. today are in favor of it. But we need more states to enforce the death penalty. medicine, manufacturing, automobile, and air traffic, sports, Death is an experience that cannot be experienced and ends all experience. Because it is unknown as it is certain, death is universally feared. “The life of a man should be sacred to each other (Bedau, H. 1982, p. 330)”. Hugo Bedau (1982) claims: Frank Carrington (1978) states- is there any way one can tell whether the death penalty deters murders from killing? There is no way one can tell whether the death penalty deters murderers from killing. The argument goes on that proponents of capital punishments should not have to bear the burden of proving deterrence by a reasonable doubt. Nor should the abolitionist have to prove deterrence by a reasonable doubt -neither side would be able to anyway. He (the husband) was sentenced to death, but committed suicide in prison. She recently learned that prior to the killing he had contracted someone $5,000 to burn their house while she and the kids were inside. The purpose of this paper is to look at both sides of the arguments of the death penalty-the pros and cons, and how our criminal justice system makes legislatures, courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court chose to resolve issues. Interesting issues are brought up like the fear of the death penalty, bible quotes, how life is sacred, and the execution of the innocent. You will note too much emphasis is placed on the convicted murderer and not on the victim. The murderers get out of prison early and murder again. There are evidence to both sides of the argument in whether the death penalty is a deterrent or not. In question of the death penalty, I ask you to weigh both sides of the argument carefully and make your decision based on the action that will serve the best humanitarian purpose of criminal law. In 1958 the10 states that had the fewest murders –fewer In a foot note Bedau (1982) cites, “Actually being dead is no different from not being born, a (non) experience we all had before being born. But death is not realized. The process of dying which is a different matter is usually confused with it. In turn research paper on sociology, dying is feared because death is expected, even though death is feared because it is confused with dying (p. 338)”. What would it accomplish to put someone on death row? The victim is already dead-you cannot bring him back. When the opponents feel “fear of death” will prevent one from committing murder, it is not true because most murders are done on the “heat of passion” when a person cannot think rationally. Therefore, how can one even have time to think of fear in the heat of passion (Internet)? The framers of the constitution clearly believed that Capital punishment was an acceptable mess of protecting society form “wicked dissolute men” Thomas Jefferson liked to talk about it (Carrington, F. 1978). Threat of Death Penalty Rate of Homicide Decreases in 27 states. When there was a moratorium on Capital Punishment in the United States, the study showed murder rates increased by 100%. The study also reviewed 14 nations who abolished the death penalty. It (the study) claimed murder increased by 7% from five years before the abolition period to the five years after the abolition (Internet). not to mention wars and revolutions, cause death of Opponents claim lots of innocent man are wrongly executed. There has never been any proof of an innocent man being executed. A study by Bedau-Radlet claimed there were 22 cases where the defendant have been wrongly executed. However, this study is very controversial. Studies like Markman and Cassell find that the methodology was flawed in l2 cases. There was no substantial evidence of guilt, and no evidence of innocence. Moreover, our judicial system takes extra precautions to be sure the innocent and their rights are protected. Most likely an innocent person would not be executed (Internet). Opponents argue that there is no deterrent effect by using the death penalty. According to Baily, who did a study from l967 to l968, the death penalty was a deterrent penalty may not function as a significantly greater A punishment is just if it recognizes the seriousness of the crime. “Let the punishment fit the crime” is a generally accepted and sound precept. In structuring criminal sentences, society must determine what punishment fits the premeditated taking of innocent human life. To be proportionate to the offense of cold-blooded murder, the penalty for such an offense must acknowledge the inviolability of human life. Without a death penalty, the criminal law’s penalties will essentially “top out” and will not differentiate murder from other offenses. Only if the sentencing structure allows for a substantially greater penalty for murder will the range of penalties fully reflect the seriousness of ending the life of an innocent human being. Some of the pros and cons are as follows: Pros- Just Punishment- Custom Student Mr. Teacher ENG 1001-04 25 June 2016 Cons- Risk to the Innocent- The risk that an innocent person might be executed, Unlike all other criminal punishments, the death penalty is irrevocable,(IRREVERSIBLE) We as a society have to move away from the “eye for an eye” revenge mentality if civilization is to advance. A limited time offer! Get custom Essay sample written according to your requirements Incapacitation- Capital punishment also serves to effectively prevent murderers from killing again. This incapacitation effect is particularly important because of the continuing risk posed by those who have already taken a human life. For example, according to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, of 52,000 state prison inmates serving time for murder in 1984, an estimated 810 had previously been convicted of murder. Had some of these murderers been given the death penalty for their first murders, innocent people would have been spared. Only a capital sentence can permanently end the threat to others posed by the most serious murderers. Both sides of the argument will be addressed here how to write college application essays, so that conclusions can be drawn from the information presented that will hopefully shed some light on the debate and determine which side is correct. There is, however, seemingly much more information available that is against the death penalty than for it. It is also possible that a determination will not be able to be made due to the fact that there are so many issues and beliefs that surround each side, and statistics can be made to show many things, depending on who is utilizing them and how the numbers are manipulated. It is for this reason that statistics will not play a large role in the scope of this paper, as numbers often vary. On one side of the debate, there are those that believe that killing is morally and ethically wrong, whether it is the killer and his victims or the government and the killer. The ethical dilemmas that are faced by this issue are not designed to be discussed here. They are important and worthy of discussion and thought, but the scope of this paper does not allow for space to debate the ethical issues that involve the death penalty as it pertains to violent individuals and their reasons for their actions. The purpose of this paper is to leave those issues aside and determine whether there is a basis of truth in the statement that capital punishment deters violent crime. This statement is used by many who believe in the death penalty academic writing an argumentative essay, and they argue that these criminals will not be able to do any more harm, which is certainly true, and not a question for debate. What is debatable, however, is whether the idea of the death penalty affects those that might commit violent crimes, and whether it stops them from doing so. There are many that believe this, and others that insist that there is little to no effect. Published: 23rd March, 2015 Last Edited: 23rd March, 2015 those contemplating criminal activities do not rationally weigh the benefits and costs of their actions, There are several effective arguments against the death penalty, including the fact that some people have been executed writing a good college entrance essay, and the government has later discovered their innocence. There is not much to be done at that point, and instead of deterring violent crime, it makes the death penalty seem unjust and unfair. It also draws into question once again whether the death penalty is such a good idea, since it can sometimes be used incorrectly and innocent people are made to suffer for the mistakes of the police, prosecutors, and government (Rivkind & Shatz, 2005). It would seem that many criminals would find this more amusing than frightening. They do not take their chances of being caught and subjected to the death penalty seriously enough to be frightened by the penalty like many assume they will be (van den Haag, 2001). One is left to wonder why this is so, and whether the death penalty actually would work if everyone found guilty of a violent crime and proved guilty with DNA evidence and/or a confession was executed within 30 days. There would be less prison overcrowding, and appeals would not be allowed. Enacted in this way, the death penalty might be a better deterrent against violent crime, because the stakes would be much higher than they are now, and the chances of being executed would be much greater. It would give criminals more to think about when they were contemplating their violent crimes, and society (at least that part of society that supports the death penalty) would feel better about not supporting these criminals while they appealed and worked to save themselves. It is also possible that more people would come to see the death penalty as a good idea if they could be shown that there was less prison overcrowding and that the amount of violent crime was actually dropping because of it. This might help society out in several ways, but it is unlikely that this will come to pass. There are always those that will fight for the rights of convicted prisoners, and argue that they are misunderstood. Another point of this argument is that the death penalty brings closure for the victims of the families that have lost loved ones. There is apparently a satisfaction, at least for some, upon seeing these people give up their life at the hands of the government. The chapter of their lives that dealt with that person has come to an end, and they can finally feel that they can move on with their lives (Radelet & Akers, 1996). This is somewhat related to violent crime, in that there is always the possibility that survivors who have lost loved ones would consider taking their vengeance out on others because of their pain and sorrow, and this could lead to even more violent crimes. Violent criminals that are paroled also run the risk of being killed by those that know what they did and believe that they should have died. This creates more violent acts in society and more problems with how to punish these individuals. Having the death penalty for violent crimes often prevents this. According to some that believe in God and feel that the death penalty is acceptable under the scriptures, make one main point, which is that "This is not an issue that may be measured accurately in terms of statistics. No one can ever know how many potential murderers have refrained from taking human life due to their fear of prosecution personal cover letter for resume, conviction, and ultimate execution" (Jackson, 2003). It is also questioned during this same argument that those who conclude that the death penalty is not a deterrent to violent crime should also be able to conclude that prison is not a deterrent either, since people seem to keep committing crimes, whether or not they think they will go to jail. They came to try and prove that this was a humane way of killing a man, and were unanimous in the end, pronouncing this as a quick and painless method of execution. "Several of them said they thought it the most merciful form yet devised." (Vila, pg. 78-79) This is what happened to the victim according to A. Huftaker, E. E. Hammer, and Major D. A. Turner of the Army Medical Reserve Corps. The man went unconscious after his first breath of the vaporized acid (liquid hydrocyanic acid). Since the man was unconscious he did not feel any pain and died almost instantly. There for the death penalty was for that time a humane way of killing someone. Not long after electrocution was tried as being inhumane, the gas chamber was challenged as being cruel and unusual punishment also. Gee Jon and Hughie Sing were the first two people to be sentenced to die by lethal gas. Justice Coleman, after the appeal was denied, relied on the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment to try and prove that the courts was not able to say that lethal gas was a painless way of putting a man to death. He tried to prove that it would subject the victim to either pain or torture. Texas, the first to use lethal injection in 1982 essay on my doll house, and other states has had this form of capital punishment tested in court time and time again and it has always come out as being valid and humane to the victim. Many people attended the execution of Gee Jon, some of who were physicians and scientists. On the other hand it's also appropriate to point that death penalty has its own pros which also need to be examined fully in order to help substantiate why this form of penalty should be adopted. One of the reason for using this type of punishment is that it helps minimize crime it sounds a great warning to other people who may have the motive of engaging in criminal offence thus the vice which would have been rampant is reduced by some great margins. Death penalty is a great burden to taxpayers financially because the actual cost of carrying out capital punishment is approximated to be 2-5 times higher than leaving the offender in prison for as many years as possible. The process of reaching the final ruling as to whether to hang the criminal is too long because it entails numerous appeals, detailed procedures as well as legal wrangling which drags the entire process as the accused can be tried for a period longer than 20 years. All this detailed process requires substantial funding to facilitate various court officials ranging from attorney general, judges buy cheap essays online uk, court clerks and other vital facilities required in court. Appleton, C. & Grover, B. (2007). The Pros and Cons of Life without Parole. The British Journal of Criminology, 47,597-615. Similarly capital punishment is quite unusual and barbaric and more so it violates the right to live which is God given and it is only God who has the ultimate power to claim any life. Most methods used to administer the punishment are very cruel for instance hanging the culprit, use of electric chair and even detaining the victim in a gas chamber.
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