Capital Punishment is Necessary in Society

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Capital Punishment is Necessary in Society

For years capital punishment has been a source of heated debate in the United States. The tension surrounding this issue is most certainly understandable. Most of all, there is the question of morality. The cold factor of cost is another issue that has continued to fuel the fire of this debate. In order to effectively evaluate whether or not the death penalty is applicable, we must first determine a few of the more important aspects of the issue. First, we must look at whether or not it is effective; if it deters crime. Next, we should look at the cost differences between imprisonment and capital punishment. Finally, legal and moral issues should be contemplated. Once these factors have been looked at, I feel it will be apparent that the death penalty is the only answer in dealing with certain criminals.

Personally, I could not care less if capital punishment is a deterrent or not. My reasons for agreeing with the death penalty lie more along the lines of retribution. However, if it is in fact a deterrent, that is just an added bonus. The data on the effectiveness of capital punishment as a deterrent seems unclear. However, in New York State, violent crime decreased by 23%, assaults declined by 22%, and the murder rate dropped by 32% after the death penalty was reinstated in 1995 (Pataki, 1997:53). Although this data supports that capital punishment does deter crime, there is data that shows the opposite. There are roughly 20,000 homicides a year in the United States ( van den Hagg 1986:266). If any of those deaths are prevented because the potential perpetrator was fearful of the death penalty, then capital punishment has fulfilled a portion of its duty. Furthermore, if someone convicted of murder is put to death, there is no chance for him or her to kill again.

When examining capital punishment it is important to address the factor the criminal justice system truly revolves around--money. Many people are concerned with the money spent on capital punishment. The fact that trials and appeals are so costly can not be denied. None the less, imprisonment for life can be extremely costly as well. It costs around $20,000 per year to house someone in prison. Based on the average age of thirty-four at time of imprisonment and the average life expectancy of sixty years puts the cost at $520,000(Benedict, 2002).

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