The Benefits of Capital Punishment

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The Benefits of Capital Punishment

Justice is about enforcing consequences for one’s own actions to endorse personal responsibility and the notion of capital punishment does just that. Capital punishment is an effective and efficient method of deterring would be criminals and preventing criminals to commit more crimes. It is by far the oldest form of punishment in the world and remains in effect in many nations. Through discussing many arguments in support of capital punishment it is obvious why this method of punishment is so controversial and why it should remain in effect today, regardless of the negative criticism it garners.

Capital punishment has been used in the United States since the execution of Daniel Frank of Virginia in 1622. Since then more than 18,000 convicted criminals have been put to death (Crime and Punishment in American History, 1993, p 317). Many Americans today still feel that capital punishment is a fair and necessary method of punishing their most violent criminals. One argument for the death penalty is the deterrent effect. In a 1985 study, published by economist Stephen K. Layson at the University of North Carolina, he found that every execution of a murderer deters, on average, 18 murders. The study also demonstrated that raising the number of death sentences by one percent would prevent 105 murders. However, only 38 percent of all murder cases result in a death sentence and of those only 0.1 percent are actually put to death ( Pro Death Penalty Online). The JFA or Justice for All reported that in Texas, the highest murder rate occurred in 1981 in Houston, specifically Harris country with an astonishing 701 murders. Since then, Texas has reinstated the death penalty in and has e...

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... every state, used it on a more consistent basis and limited the appeal process in capital punishment cases, the death penalty would undoubtedly have a much more positive effect on society and criminals.

WORKS CITED

Bedau, Hugo Adam. The Death Penalty in America. New York: Oxford University

Press, 1982.

Friedman, M. Lawrence. Crime and Punishment in American History. New York: Basic Books, 1993.

Jacobs, Nancy, et al. Capital Punishment, Cruel and Unusual?. Wylie: Information Plus, 1996.

Justice for all. “Death Penalty and Sentencing Information in the United States.” [Online] Available: http://www.jfa.net/

Lowe Wesley. “Wesley Lowe’s Pro Death Penalty Webpage.” [Online] Available: http://www.geocities.com/~lurch7/cp.html#intro

Pro Death Penalty Online. “Death Penalty Statistics.” [Online] Available:

http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/

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