Pros And Cons Of Punishment

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Punishment can be described as the deliberate infliction of suffering on a supposed or actual offender for an offense committed against the law. Mandatory sentencing, life imprisonment or death penalty are types of punishment. Death penalty today, is as controversial as it was many decades ago. The view on death penalty is mixed with opinions. The death penalty debate centers around whether executing criminals is ever a morally defensible form of punishment. The most popular and common argument in favor of death penalty, would be that a person who commits the murder forfeits another person’s right to life, why should he/she still have the right to life if he deprived someone else’s right? The argument seems fair and especially to the family …show more content…

Punishment is intended to achieve some objectives which serve to justify the suffering inflicted on the offender. The main aims are retribution, incapacitation, deterrent and reform/restorative. The above aims of punishment except reform, have been used as rationale for the death penalty, particularly with murders. It is eye for eye retribution, it is incapacitation in the most extreme possible way since executed murderers can never repeat their crimes, executing murderers is also a deterrent to other would-be murderers. However, it remains to be seen whether any of these are good justifications for the death …show more content…

When it comes to death penalty as a form of punishment, can we ever eliminate the risk of executing the innocent? I believe, restorative justice (RJ) provides a better, more morally acceptable alternatives at resolving this ethical dilemma. Restorative justice is gradually becoming a widely acceptable alternative to capital punishment in many jurisdictions. It is centrally concerned with the reintegration of victims and offenders, involving apology, behavioral change, restitution and generosity. According to Daly, (2002), “fully restorative practices occur at the intersection of the three circles of 'victim reparation ', 'offender responsibility ', and 'communities of care reconciliation '

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