• Does the death penalty deter crime? If so, why are crime rates in the United States high compared to those in other nations?
“The question of whether the death penalty is a more effective deterrent than long-term imprisonment has been debated for decades or longer by scholars, policy makers, and the general public” (Radelet & Lacock, 2009).
When a defendant is convicted and sentenced to death, theoretically what follows is an execution.
The capital punishment or the death penalty is an action known to mankind since the binging of human civilization. It was sanction and legal and existed over the centuries. However, the look of modern punishment or penalty, no longer takes into account the seriousness of the facts from the trial by the accused, but also the impact it would have on the society in general and the accused, in particular, with careful thought as to whether the judgment is just or not. Especially, since every judgment is issued on behalf of the public will happen in the claims of preforming justice. It truly became a controversial topic which a single family can be torn and divided among its members. Jurists and legislators, as well, differed about retaining the death penalty for quit some time, which we can see reflected on various countries of the world. Some countries retained it, while we find some others who abolished it for all crimes except for specific ones such as war crimes. Some others, on the other hand, have kept it. An example of this is Saudi Arabia which is where I come from. In this paper I will argue for the capital punishment based on where I come from. I will talk about the advantages of capital punishments and the regulations that should be taken into considerations with this penalty.
The death penalty is the act of killing a person via the judicial system, and is meant as retribution for heinous crimes such as murder. The death penalty has been a source of controversy, raising many human rights and ethical questions. This controversy led to the death penalty being abolished when the United States Supreme Court suspended the death penalty in 1972 Furmen V Georgia. In 1976 the courts reinstated the death penalty and approved it constitutionally, as long as it was administered according to approved procedures. Today, the death penalty is being used as a form of punishment in about 58 countries. Peters, Jennifer (2001).
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?”
The technology and methods involved in state-run executions have evolved greatly over the years. For the first 150 years of the country’s existence, prisoners were executed either through hanging or by the firing squad. Electrocution became the standard method for executions until 1982, when lethal injection was used for the first time. According to Thomas Reuters “8 people were executed by electrocution, 1 by firing squad, and rest were executed by lethal injection“(“Facts About the Death Penalty”). In the US 31 states have the death penalty, and 19 states and DC abolished the death penalty.
“I support the death penalty because I believe, if administered swiftly and justly, and capital punishment is a deterrent against future violence and will save other innocent lives”- George W. Bush (16 Pro, 2015). Everyone has different views on death penalty, whether they believe it is constitutional or unconstitutional. In some circumstances the issue can violate the eighth amendment. This amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishments. The amendment is a “go to” source for the courts because it shapes the procedure for how the death is done, to determine if it fits the proportionality requirements. Being on death row, the court has to decide if it is considered a cruel and unusual punishment. They look at the objective factors and do
Death penalty has always been a topic of controversy. Interchangeably known as capital punishment, death penalty legalizes the authorization to sentence the execution of a criminal. Controversy that rise from death penalty involve the notion of ethics and epistemology. Many people questions whether it is morally right to take another person’s life, tieing into the 8th amendment that prohibits people from suffering from a certain type of punishment. Another factor is that what exactly determines whether a person deserves execution or not. The justice system has the legal dilemma of properly determining to what extent of a crime committed is reprehensible enough to face death or if it is not as grave and more suitable with merely a life sentence.
Haskins
The Death Penalty
The death penalty should be abolished because it is cruel and unusual punishment, it does not deter crime and it is costly. The death penalty is also known as capital punishment. This death by execution is ordered by the court to people convicted for a capital crime. Capital punishment is an issue that has been argued in the United States for years.
The death penalty was around for many years, though we do not really hear much about it today. The death penalty was used as a way of punishment for committing the most serious crimes. This punishment was executed in various ways, all of them leading to the death of the person being executed. However, there are reasons why this punishment is no longer being used today.
Albert Camus, a French-born author, journalist, and philosopher once wrote, “For centuries the
death penalty, often accompanied by barbarous refinements, has been trying to hold crime in check; yet
crime persists (Albert Camus Quotes). ” This might illustrate that even nowadays condemning people to death may not decrease crimes. The death penalty is a legal process whereby a person is put to death as a punishment for a crime. Some people argue that capital punishment is the easiest way to prevent people to commit murder.