In the U.S. there has been a debate whether or not the death penalty should be used. It continues to be a controversial issue in the world today. Some are for the death penalty, believing that a punishment should fit the crime and it is the only necessary way to reprimand those who have committed a terrible offense. Others believe that the death penalty violates human rights and that it is inhumane, merciless, and cruel. In Kenneth Jost's article "Death Penalty Controversies", he explains that critics and adversaries of the death penalty are warning that capital trials and sentencing hearings are extremely flawed and inadequate that they risk resulting in the execution of innocent people (Jost 785). "Supporters of capital punishment discount the warnings, emphasizing that opponents cannot cite a single person in modern times who was executed and later proven to have been innocent" (786). Because DNA testing can permit inmates to confirm their innocence years after convictions, the debate over mistaken and faulty convictions has increased in recent years. "The Supreme Court recently opened its term with two closely watched cases pending on rules allowing state inmates to use newly discovered evidence to challenge their convictions in federal courts, based on actual innocence as well as constitutional violations" (786). There is now currently a debate whether or not states should enforce a freeze on executions. Many Americans do indeed support the death penalty. "Nearly three out of four Americans are advocates of the death penalty, but only sixty-one percent believe that it is applied fairly in this country. Americans believe that innocent people have been executed within the past five years, but the percentage who feel that way d... ... middle of paper ... ...ld work while being imprisoned to at least allow some reason and dignity in their lives. If a prisoner is working within the compound than a fraction of the prisoner's earning should pay for their confinement. Also another alternative could be taking away a prisoner's parole. This could supply the public with the protection and safety from repeat criminals. Bibliography Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica. London: 1920. Connors, Russell; Patrick McCormick. Character, Choices, and Community. New York:1998. Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan. Ed. Richard Tuck. London:1651. Jost, K. (2005, September 23). "Death penalty controversies." The CQ Researcher, 15, 785-808. http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2005092300. Document ID: cqresrre2005092300. John Paul II. "XXXI World Day for Peace". Message at theVatican: 1998. Mill, John. Utilitarianism. Adelaide:1998.
Lester, D. (1998). The death penalty issues and answers (2nd edition.). Springfield, IL: Library of Congress Cataloging.
The death penalty has always been a subject of controversy. Some say that it is a barbaric practice that should be done away with while others claim it to be necessary to ensure the safety of modern society. Either way, capital punishment has always remained a grey area in the
Prisoners have a lot of free time on their hands, some of which is spent getting into confrontations with other inmates or making weapons, both of these activities can exacerbate their sentence. So by having them work we are keeping them out of trouble by giving then something positive to do while allowing them to learn skills that will aid them in getting a job after they are released. One of the main problems that we are facing is that a large percentage of former inmates return to prison. “Many prisoners want to work…inmates who work are less likely to commit crimes when they are released.” ...
It's dark and cold, the fortress-like building has cinderblock walls, and death lurks around the perimeter. A man will die tonight. Under the blue sky, small black birds gather outside the fence that surrounds the building to flaunt their freedom. There is a gothic feel to the scene, as though you have stepped into a horror movie.
Narration: When it comes to the death penalty there are Opponents and Proponents and although both aim to defend and protect society from crime their beliefs differ in how to accomplish this.
“The case Against the Death Penalty.” aclu.org. American Civil Liberties Union, 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2013
The death penalty is a controversial topic in the United States today and has been for a number of years. The death penalty is currently legal in 38 states and two federal jurisdictions (Winters 97). The death penalty statutes were overturned and then reinstated in the United States during the 1970's due to questions concerning its fairness (Flanders 50). The death penalty began to be reinstated slowly, but the rate of executions has increased during the 1990's (Winters103-107). There are a number of arguments in favor of the death penalty. Many death penalty proponents feel that the death penalty reduces crime because it deters people from committing murder if they know that they will receive the death penalty if they are caught. Others in favor of the death penalty feel that even if it doesn't deter others from committing crimes, it will eliminate repeat offenders.
"The Case Against the Death Penalty." American Civil Liberties Union. The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation., 2011. Web. 01 Nov. 2014.
The death penalty is not a new idea in our world. Its origins date back 3,700 years to the Babylonian civilization, where it was prescribed for a variety of crimes (Kronenwetter p.10). It was also greatly used in the Greek and Roman empires. In ancient Roman and Mosaic Law they believed in the rule of “eye for and eye.” The most famous executions of the past included Socrates and Jesus (Wilson p.13). It continued into England during the Middle Ages and then to the American colonies where it exist still today. In the colonies, death was a punishment for crimes of murder, arson, and perjury. Although today the death penalty is used for murder.
Radelet, M. L. & Borg, M. J. (2000). The changing nature of death penalty debates. Annual Review of Sociology, 26, 43-61. Retrieved February 7, 2011 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/223436.pdf
Pasquerella, Lynn. “The Death Penalty in the United States.” The Study Circle Resource Center of Topsfield Foundation. July 1991. Topsfield Foundation. 03 Feb 2011. Web.
Prison inmates should be able work and spend time doing community service to contribute to society to repay for their wrong doing and develop a better character. This practice is available in some prisons and has so far, been proven effective. Labor for inmates should not be mandatory, but should be something the inmates are allowed to consider. By being able to function in the workplace, inmates will overtime develop a better sense of common knowledge in regards to being responsible and doing the right thing, be able to function in the workplace and in society, and get paid after their sentence for all of the work they’ve done.
Van Den Haag, Earnest, and John Conrad. The Death Penalty: A Debate. New York: Plenum Press, 1997.
Rubin, P. H. (2009). Don't scrap the death penalty. Criminology & Public Policy, 8(4), 853-859.
The death penalty is mainly known by capital punishment. It is a legal process whereby a person is put to death by the state as a punishment for a crime. The judicial degree that someone be punished in this manner is a death sentence. The actual process of killing someone is an execution. Capital punishment has in the past been practiced by most societies. Currently fifty eight nations actively practice it and ninety seven countries have abolished it. Capital punishment is a matter of active controversy in various countries and states. Positions can vary within single political ideology or cultural region. I am for the death penalty. With the death penalty it allows there to be equal punishment among criminals, and it brings about peace of mind to everyone.