Capital Punishment Debate Is Capital Punishment, otherwise known as the Death Penalty, a disgraceful and unjust way to kill a fellow Human being? Or is it a justifiable way to punish someone in a modern day society? Some nations use the Death Penalty as their most severe punishment. Capital Punishment is one of the most debated issues in current day life. Is it acceptable or not? Many politicians have put their arguments across highlighting both their benefits and drawbacks. In the past people in Britain were often executed by hanging or by having their heads severed. But nowadays very few countries allow the Death Penalty. In fact, it follows the abolition of the death penalty for treason and piracy in the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act and is part of a global trend which has made massive strides in recent years. Criminals are executed via lethal injection or electric chair. Some say this is a less painful and more 'humane' way of killing. But others argue against it. The Death Penalty existed for centuries for crimes such as: theft and treason, to crimes like murder and rape. Until 1808 execution was an 'entertainment' for the public until reforms were introduced to the English Parliament to banish the Death Penalty for more than 200 crimes including; being in the company of Gypsies for more than one month and "strong evidence of malice" in children aged between 7-14. Hundreds of similar crimes were also down graded; these offences were registered under the 'Bloody Code'. Sir Robert Peel reduced Capital Punishment crimes to just four: murder; treason; arson in royal dockyards; and piracy with violence. Public exec... ... middle of paper ... ...ought twice. The death penalty would have deterred him from committing such a horrendous crime from the onset. Looking at both sides of the argument I believe that the current law is correct. Capital punishment may be easy and less expensive, but if they remain in jail for life they will suffer every second. When they want to have a bite to eat they will suffer, in prison they have set times for meals. When they want to see there children's faces they will suffer. When they want to see their friends they will suffer. When they want to watch a movie they will suffer. When they want entertainment they will suffer. When they want to see a friendly face they will suffer. When they want to have luxuries they will suffer. When they want see their children grow up they will suffer. When the want to be free they will suffer.
What disturbed me is that although the prisoners have committed a crime, it is wrong for the wardens treat them like “animals”. It is astonishing that the inmates are able to survive through each day. If I was expected to eat the rotten food, I would choose not to eat, which would have eventually lead to starvation. I am aware that the feeling of starvation is unbearable, it’s almost like if there was something stabbing through your guts. Previously mentioned, I would rather just get shot because if I was an inmate in the cell, I would end up not eating anything at. This will then lead to death, whereas getting blasted by a gun would be faster and significantly more
I clung to the notion that it wasn’t the government’s or society’s fault these people were in jail. It was the prisoners to blame. They did the crime, so they had to do the time. In the article “Prison: To Punish or Reform” Dianne Clemens, president of Justice for All- Citizens United Against Crime, argues “[w]e encouraged criminals to place the blame for their activities and addictions upon others and we, as
you go to prison, whether you belong there or not, you become a dangerous person, and they
Furthermore, when our offenders reach prison, they are escorted to a room where they are stripped of all outside clothing, searched and given a prison suit. Next they are then taken to their cell, whether it is by themselves or bunking with one or more prison mates. Depending on the time of the day they enter, they will then be taken to the next meal, then afterwards maybe they return back to their cell or they have an activity of some sort. They get to sleep on a bunk, oftentimes, have a toilet and a sink in their rooms sometimes, and get to have pictures, buy from the canteen where they can buy anything from cigarettes to magazines, to even personal TVs or radios. Anything to make their life comfortable while they are there. Meanwhile, there are those in the US who work hard, never commit crimes,
... just fear them. Besides having no other real options in supporting themselves, murderers would more than likely repeat the same crime if released.
Is the death penalty fair? Is it humane? Does it deter crime? The answers to these questions vary depending on who answers them. The issue of capital punishment raises many debates. These same questions troubled Americans just as much in the day of the Salem witch trials as now in the say of Timothy McVeigh. During the time of the Salem witchcraft trials they had the same problem as present society faces. Twenty innocent people had been sentenced to death. It was too late to reverse the decision and the jurors admitted to their mistake. The execution of innocent people is still a major concern for American citizens today.
Capital Punishment is referred to as the death penalty, is judicially ordered execution of a prisoner as a punishment for a serious crime, often called a capital offense or as a capital crime. Some jurisdictions that practice capital punishment restrict its use to small number of criminal offenses principally treason and murder. Prisoners who have been sentenced to death are usually kept segregated from other prisoners in special parts of the prison pending their execution. I believe capital punishment has ethical problems and is wrong because it decreases the value and dignity of human life. The eighth amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. The death penalty is a form of cruel and unusual punishment no matter what the crime an individual commits. Murder is wrong whether it is a person killing another person or a state’s decision, murder is murder, and it is all the same. Two wrongs don’t make a right. It also sends a wrong and unmoral message to the people in the community who’s trying to obey the law. The Government says death is wrong when a person kills another but murder is right when done by the government by using the death penalty. They too are committing murder.
I asked Inmate Dennis if anything happened in the hallway on the way to intake and he stated, “No. They just kept pulling me. I was walking but they kept trying to make me look cracked out and that I was fighting. I don’t know why they were doing that. And then they threw me in the cell.” I asked Inmate Dennis if he said anything to the detention officers as they were walking down the hall and he said, “The only thing I asked was ‘why the fuck you grab me for?’”
The death penalty, ever since it was established, has created a huge controversy all throughout the world. Ever since the death penalty was created, there have been people who supported the death penalty and those who wanted to destroy it. When the death penalty was first created the methods that were used were gruesome and painful, it goes against the Eighth Amendment that was put in place many years later. The methods they used were focused on torturing the people and putting them through as much pain as possible. In today’s society the death penalty is quick and painless, it follows the Eighth Amendment. Still there are many people who are against capital punishment. The line of whether to kill a man or women for murder or to let him or her spend the rest one’s life in prison forever will never be drawn in a staight.
Few issues have been as hotly argued and controversial as the death penalty, with its many conflicting moral, social and legal implications. Compelling arguments exist in favor of the final punishment, and equally strong arguments exist to end its practice. Furthermore, considering its conflicting history, on the grand scale of the whole world, and in just America, it is unlikely that this issue will be resolved any time soon. In the United States specifically, the issue has great significance to the bill of rights and the 8th amendment, which prevents cruel and unusual punishment. The death sentence, due to the intense debate on its morality and constitutionality, as well as the many conflicting decisions made about it until this day, still is and will likely remain a very controversial issue in the United States.
A Nameless Inmate shouts to the camera behind bars in the Documentary “The house I Live In, he shouted “Just wipe me out straight off the map for nothing. 57 years for a small rock . I wanna know why i’m treated like I murder somebody?
Prisons exist in this country as a means to administer retributive justice for those that break the laws in our society or to state it simply prisons punish criminals that are to receive a sentence of incarceration for more than one year. There are two main sub-cultures within the walls of prison the sub-culture of the Department of Corrections (which consists of the corrections officer, administrators, and all of the staff that work at the prison and go home at the end of their day) and the actual prisoners themselves. As you can imagine these two sub-cultures are dualistic in nature and this makes for a very stressful environment for both sides of the fence. While in prison, the inmates experience the same conditions as described in the previous
A majority of American citizens view the death penalty as a morally justified form of punishment for criminals, even though there is growing discontent. Despite it being such an avoidable discussion topic, nearly every American has his own opinion on the matter. The death penalty has an uncanny knack for polarizing even the closest of friends. The inner turmoil that comes with the idea of capital punishment is enough to deter most average Joe 's and even politicians away from facing the truths. Because of this, capital punishment is an important yet untouched subject. The death penalty balances life and death so it mustn 't be ignored.
If it were up to me, every murderer in this country would be put behind bars on death row and have their life taken from them just as they took the life of another. The guidelines of " an eye for an eye" go back thousands of years. Many countries still hold true to these guidelines. Although America doesn't follow the same as these countries, I believe when it comes to murder, they should.