Should The Death Penalty Be Banned In The United States?

As Bryan Stevenson once stated, “The death penalty symbolizes whom we fear and don’t fear; whom we care about and whose lives are not valid.” Capital punishment should be prohibited in the United States because it cost too much, it takes too long, and is stressful for everyone involved.

The cost for the death penalty is extremely high. “It costs an obscene amount of money” (Jones & Eder). This statement shows that the cost really is too high. Authors, Jones and Eder stated in a New York Times article that, people are questioning whether the occasional execution is worth taxpayer money spent on lengthy appeals and costly lawyers when state budgets are strained. This again proves taxpayer money is being spent too much. California had spent more than $4 billion on capital punishment since 1978 says authors, Jones and Eder. this gives insight to just

In California, it takes an average of 25 years from sentencing to execution (Jones & Eder). This shows how long on average California’s capital punishment process takes. “It was six years, sentence to execution” (Jones & Eder). This proves just how long a case can take. The appeals process triggered by death sentences means a long stay on death row for most inmates. Wikline was there for nineteen years before his execution. This shows how long a person can be on death row.

The death penalty is stressful for everyone involved. Family members and loved ones of murder victims often find themselves entangled in the justice system for a very long time. This supports the theory that the family suffers for such a long time (Holloway). Let him suffer in prison the rest of his life; but I can't imagine what the death penalty is for not this (Futty). This show that the family is already suffering enough. Focusing on their clients traumatic childhood, to argue that he should be spared the death penalty (Futty). This quote shows that people have traumatic experiences with the death