Hosting Death The United States of America is, in most cases, an innovative country because of its educational institutions, career opportunities, and government. However, the frequent and severe punishment of death row sentencing should not be considered so revolutionary. Though several different avenues of punishment are available to the justice system, the death penalty is still used to this day. The death penalty has been used for centuries, but that does not make it an effective punishment. The purpose of sentencing criminals to prison is to not only make the streets safer, but also provide an effective learning opportunity to the inmates. Surprisingly, in Florida alone there are almost four hundred death row inmates. The use of the …show more content…
Those in support of the death penalty cite that there is evidence of it being a warning to other potential offenders, allows the victim’s relief, and creates a just punishment (Muhlhausen). Most research show that there is a substantial lack of evidence supporting this claim. The National Research Council of the National Academy stated this in its report, “The committee concludes that research the effect of capital punishment on homicide is not informative about whether capital punishment decreases, increases, or has no effect on homicide rates.” A punishment is supposed to deter an individual from repeating his or her mistakes or other people committing them. The research on the subject of pro death penalty is not able to support its hypothetical benefits. This should be taken into account when lives are on the …show more content…
Most inmates on death row will remain in prison for close to a decade before their punishment is carried out. Death Row inmates are isolated from all contact to other prisoners and except for occasional family visits spend their time in solitary confinement. Their main escape from this constant isolation is the short hour they have in the jail’s gym or yard. The case of Knight vs. Florida clearly demonstrated how harmful this can be. Knight was on death row for close to twenty-five years and appealed to Florida’s court that this was a violation of his eighth amendment. The eighth amendment states that no inhumane and cruel punishments can be used. (Knight v. Florida) (Breyer). Twenty-five years of solitary confinement should be considered an inhumane and cruel punishment. The prolonged absence of human contact and required isolation is in a way hosting death, leading to depression among death row inmates, suicide attempts, and in most cases is not an environment in which a inmate is punished but rather tortured. Human rights are a widely fought campaign in every country. The loss of basic human rights should be considered when deciding the death penalty as it is a one way path to no redemption. The United Nations created a report called the “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights”. The list contains what is considered the basic
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Show MoreEach year there are about 250 people added to death row and 35 executed. From 1976 to 1995 there were a total of 314 people put to death in the US 179 of them were put to death using lethal injection, 123 were put to death using electrocution, 9 were put to death in a gas chamber, 2 were hanged, and 1 was put to death using the firing squad. The death penalty is the harshest form of punishment enforced in the United Sates today. Once a jury has convicted a criminal, they go to the second part of the trial, the punishment phase. If the jury recommends the death penalty and the judge agrees then the criminal will face some form of execution, lethal injection is the most common form used today. There was a period from 1972 to 1976 that capital punishment was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Their reason for this decision was that the death penalty was "cruel and unusual punishment" under the Eighth Amendment. The decision was reversed when new methods of execution were introduced. Capital punishment is a difficult issue and there are as many different opinions as there are people. In our project, both sides have been presented and argued fully.
An inmate by the name of Gary Graham drew several protestors to a Huntsville unit in the year 2000; they were there in opposition to Graham’s execution. This day finally came after nineteen years on death row and four appeals. With him being a repeat offender he was not new to this side of the justice system, but after being put in prison he became a political activist who worked to abolish the death penalty. People who stood against his execution argued that his case still had reasonable doubt, he was rehabilitating himself, and his punishment would cause major harm to his family. Aside from that you have the advocates arguing that you have to set example for others, so you must carry out the punishment that was given, and while the execution may harm the offender’s family it will give the victims’ families closure for his crimes.
The death penalty was brought to America in the 17th century. As of January 1, 2011, more than three thousand people were sentenced under the death penalty in the United States (Death Penalty Information Center). There are currently thirty-four states with the death penalty and out those states 1,272 inmates have been executed to date (Death Penalty Information Center). A number of inmates have perhaps been on death row for more than a decade. With the increase public support for the death penalty and the growing number of executions indicate there is an issue for competency (Bonnie, 1990). Therefore, “many states have begun to encounter some condemned inmates asserting that their prolonged confinement under sentence of death has left them mentally incompetent (Small & Otto, 1991)”. These inmates on death row live with the knowledge of their approaching death and some of these inmates are often mentally incompetent.
In this paper I will ask three people four different questions about their views on the death penalty. The first question I asked was “Why do you feel the death penalty is wrong?” Question number two, “Does the death penalty help protect the public and discourage crime?” Question number three, “Do you consider the death penalty cruel and unusual?” The final question, “Is the death penalty economically justifiable and cost effective?”
This paper will examine the pros and cons of the death penalty. Is it a deterrent or is that a myth. Does it give the family of the victim peace or does it cause them to suffer waiting for appeal after appeal. What are the forms of execution and any evidence of them being cruel and usual punishment. Is the death penalty fair if there are glaring, disparities in sentencing depending on geographic location and the color of the offender and victim’s skin?
No, I do not believe the death penalty should be in use in today’s society because a loss of freedom cannot compare to a loss of life, as a human life will forever be more valuable than any material good. The death penalty is wrong for many reasons, however, strong cases why it should be abolished are; the death penalty is racist and punishes the poor, condemns the innocent to die, and capital punishment does not deter crime. The death penalty tends to be harsher on poor individuals. Innocent individuals who cannot afford a quality defense often have a greater chance to be put to death. Inadequate defense is a main reason why some death penalty cases are reversed. Racism is another reason the death penalty is wrong, but I consider the two sides to be similar. Looking
According to “Death Penalty”, Every day, people are executed by the state as punishment for a variety of crimes – sometimes for acts that should not be criminalized. In some countries it can be for who you sleep with, in others it is reserved for acts of terror and murder.Some countries execute people who were under 18 years old when the crime was committed, others use the death penalty against people who suffer mental problems. Before people die they are often imprisoned for years on “death row”. Not knowing when their time is up, or whether they will see their families one last time (www.amnesty.org).
“The death penalty is popular among politicians and the public in response to the escalating fear of violence. However, capital punishment actually makes the fight against crime more difficult. Executions waste valuable resources that could be applied to more promising efforts to protect the public. Additionally, innocent people are sometimes executed and the brutalizing effect executions have on society may result in more murders. For these reasons, the death penalty should be opposed.” (Morgenthau 14)
Proponents of the death penalty present a number of reasons for deserved capital punishment. Agencies whose purpose is to deter crime believe that punishing wrongdoers may reduce crimes and save lives. Society has the right to keep murderers from ever killing again and criminals should be held fully responsible for the crimes they commit. Supporters of the death penalty believe that science can be used effectively to free the innocent as well as to identify the guilty. They believe that the justice system receives scrutiny to protect a person charged from injustice. Those that oppose the death penalty also have compelling arguments.
Throughout the world, all nations either have the death penalty or had used it before. The death penalty is the most severe form of punishment a judge or jury can enforce on someone. The death penalty is a cruel and unfair system. It should be abolished because it favors racism. Also, it is financially too expensive for taxpayers. It violates the Bill of Rights and prisoner’s family suffer seeing their loved one’s put to death. The idea of life in prison is enough of a punishment for anyone.
One of the major problems many have with capital punishment is the cost. Death penalty trials are very complicated with many important parts, and as a result the death penalty is extremely expensive. Studies have shown that a “death-penalty trial costs $1 million more than one in which prosecutors seek life without parole (Barnes 1 of 2).” Duke University studied North Carolina’s death penalty and found that the state spent more, $2.1 million dollars more, on a death penalty case than a case seeking a life sentence (Barnes 1 of 2). Between 1995 and 2004, New York spent over $170 million dollars without executing a single prisoner (Costs 3 of 5). Death row prisoners are deemed dangerous to society and other prisoners, and so they are classified as maximum custody. This means that they are kept in a cell by themselves. Keeping prisoners on death row costs $90,000 more per year than regular confinement due to single cell housing and the extra guards that are needed in those prisons (Barnes 2 of 2). Security for the death row inmates is greatly increased which adds about 100,000 dollars to the cost of incarcerating each death row prisoner (Williams 1 of 2). California’s 714 capital prisoners cost $184 million more per year than those sentenced to life without parole. Capital crime cases have many aspects which increases the cost. Qualified lawyers are needed to work on these cases, and due to the limited amount of capable attorneys, the prisoners are forced to wait to have an attorney assigned to their case (Williams 2 of 2). These special state appointed attorneys cost the state up to $300,000 to represent each death row inmate on appeal (Williams 1 of 2). The long wait drives up the cost of the case along with the increase of time ...
The death penalty continues to be an issue of controversy and is an issue that will be debated in the United States for many years to come. According to Hugo A. Bedau, the writer of “The Death Penalty in America”, capital punishment is the lawful infliction of the death penalty. The death penalty has been used since ancient times for a variety of offenses. The Bible says that death should be done to anyone who commits murder, larceny, rapes, and burglary. It appears that public debate on the death penalty has changed over the years and is still changing, but there are still some out there who are for the death penalty and will continue to believe that it’s a good punishment. I always hear a lot of people say “an eye for an eye.” Most people feel strongly that if a criminal took the life of another, their’s should be taken away as well, and I don’t see how the death penalty could deter anyone from committing crimes if your going to do the crime then at that moment your not thinking about being on death role. I don’t think they should be put to death they should just sit in a cell for the rest of their life and think about how they destroy other families. A change in views and attitudes about the death penalty are likely attributed to results from social science research. The changes suggest a gradual movement toward the eventual abolition of capital punishment in America (Radelet and Borg, 2000).
According to oxforddictionaries.com capital punishment is defined as the legally authorized killing of someone as punishment for a crime. As of May 2, 2013 Maryland joined the 17 states that have abolished the death penalty,this means as of now 32 states still allow capital punishment. Death Penalty Facts stats that over two thirds of the world’s countries have rid themselves of this unconstitutional law in all practices. Death Penalty Facts goes on to say that 14 states without the death penalty had homicide rates at or near national rates (http://www.amnestyusa.org/pdfs/DeathPenaltyFactsMay2012.pdf). According to Natalie Leppard, PhD that in 2010, 46 people was sentenced the death penalty.Since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976 this
The death penalty has been an issue of debate for several years. Whether or not we should murder murderer’s and basically commit the same crime that they are being killed for committing. People against the death penalty say that we should not use it because of that very reason. They also make claims that innocent people who were wrongly convicted could be killed. Other claims include it not working as a deterrent, it being morally wrong, and that it discriminates. Some even claim that it is cruel and unusual punishment. I would like to shed light on the issue and inform everyone as to why we should keep the death penalty and possibly even use it more than we do now.
The death penalty has been an ongoing debate for many years. Each side of the issue presents valid arguments to explain why someone should be either for or against the subject. One side of the argument says deterrence, the other side says there’s a likelihood of putting to death an innocent man; one says justice, retribution, and punishment; the other side says execution is murder itself. Crime is an unmistakable part of our society, and it is safe to say that everyone would concur that something must be done about it. The majority of people know the risk of crime to their lives, but the subject lies in the techniques and actions in which it should be dealt with. As the past tells us, capital punishment, whose meaning is “the use of death as a legally sanctioned punishment,” is a suitable and proficient means of deterring crime. Today, the death penalty resides as an effective method of punishment for murder and other atrocious crimes.