The Death Penalty

885 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Why should we abolish the death penalty

Is the death penalty really a rational and effective way to respond to the crimes of certain prisoners? Thirty one percent of society believes we should not keep the death penalty, while others believe that the death penalty doesn’t really keep crime from happening. Of the thirty one percent, many believe that executing offenders of the law only runs away from the issue at hand. Also, if society thinks about it, ending the penalty would cost less both physically and mentally. Lastly, abolishment of the penalty would help rid any of the negative and humane issues at hand: this involves the biblical verse; thou shalt not kill, and the national human rights law; article 3, and 5 of the Declaration of Independence. Is the death penalty going to make a difference in society?

First of all, does the death penalty really deter crime? According to Gregory Ruff, a police lieutenant in Kansas, it doesn’t: "I have never heard a murderer say they thought about the death penalty as consequence of their actions prior to committing their crimes (Anti Death Penalty, Quotes.)” In other words, if this statement is true among inmates on death row, then why do we have the penalty at all? If criminals commit their crimes without thinking about the negative consequences, how is this going to make our world safe? Steven Messner, a criminologist at the State University of New York, said; “Whatever the factors are that affect change in homicide rates, they don’t seem to operate differently based on the presence or absence of the death penalty in a state (Steven E Schonebaum, pg. 14).” If you think about it, a person that has enough motivation to take the life of someone innocent would not care what happened afterwards to him. They would especially not ...

... middle of paper ...

...Library. Web. 19 May 2010. .

"Death Penalty and Human Rights." Oracle ThinkQuest Library. Web. 20 May 2010. .

"Death Penalty Focus." Web. .

The Execution of Mentally Ill Offenders. Rep. New York, NY: Amnesty International USA, 2010. Print.

Grabowski, John F. The Death Penalty. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 1999. Print.

Holy Bible. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2007. Print.

Mitchell, Hayley R. The Death Penalty. San Diego, Calif.: Greenhaven, 2001. Print.

Schonebaum, Stephen E. Does Capital Punishment Deter Crime? San Diego: Greenhaven, 1998. Print.

United States. Death Penalty Information Center. Death Penalty Information Center. Death Penalty Informaton Center. Web. 22 Apr. 2010. .

Show More
Related

  • Roper v. Simmons: An Examination of the Supreme Courts Role

    2549 Words  | 6 Pages

    Death Penalty Information Center . (2013, Nov. 20). Retrieved from States With and Without the Death Penalty : http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/states-and-without-death-penalty

    Read More

  • Crazy Chapter Summary

    731 Words  | 2 Pages

    Today, prisons are the nation’s primary providers of mental health care, and some do a better job than others. Pete Earley focuses his research on the justice system in Miami, Florida. He documents how the city’s largest prison has only one goal for their mentally ill prisoners: that they do not kill themselves. The prison has no specialized

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Bryan Stevenson's Close To Death: Reflections On Race And Capital Punishment

    1861 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many people are led to believe that the death penalty doesn’t occur very often and that very few people are actually killed, but in reality, it’s quite the opposite. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1,359 people have been executed as a result of being on death row since 1977 to 2013. Even though this form of punishment is extremely controversial, due to the fact that someone’s life is at stake, it somehow still stands to this very day as our ultimate form of punishment. Although capital punishment puts murderers to death, it should be abolished because killing someone who murdered another, does not and will not make the situation any better in addition to costing tax payers millions of dollars.

    Read More

  • Death Penalty's False Promise By Anna Quindlen

    391 Words  | 1 Pages

    There is no point in wasting thousands each year on such a practice that has no effect on criminal decision-making. In fact, according to the FBI’s “Crime Rates in the US”, the states without the death penalty actually have a lower murder rate than states with the death penalty. We should not use the death penalty to teach criminals that killing people is wrong; it’s hypocrisy. You don't teach someone that murder is wrong by murdering the one who's done it just as you wouldn't teach someone that stealing is wrong by stealing something of

    Read More

  • Argument for The Abolishment of Capital Punishment GCSE

    1167 Words  | 3 Pages

    deter crime? A study into the effect of Capital Punishment said, 'the presence of the death penalty in law and practice has no discernible effect as a deterrent to murder.' How does this serve as a deterrent to crime? It offers the convict an easy way out with no reflection on what they've done. They don't learn from their mistakes and although there is obviously no risk of re-offence, the criminal cannot give anything back to society.

    Read More

  • Capital Punishment: Does Death Equal Justice?

    1674 Words  | 4 Pages

    or hundreds of years people have considered capital punishment a deterrence of crime. Seven hundred and five individuals have died since 1976, by means of capital punishment; twenty-two of these executions have already occurred this year (Death Penalty Information Center). Many U.S. citizens who strongly support the death penalty believe that capital punishment remains the best way to protect society from convicted killers. I, however, disagree; I do not feel that execution best punishes criminals for their acts. Instead, in my opinion, the administration of the death penalty should end because it does not deter crime; it risks the death of an innocent person, it costs millions of dollars, it inflicts unreasonable pain; and most importantly it violates moral principles.

    Read More

  • Fahrenheit 451 Week 3

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    Powell, A. (2014). Pennsylvania Death Penalty - Statistics and History. [online] About.com Pittsburgh. Available at: http://pittsburgh.about.com/cs/pennsylvania/a/death_penalty.htm [Accessed 7 May. 2014].

    Read More

  • Mentally ill Criminals

    1250 Words  | 3 Pages

    The issue of executing mentally ill criminals has been widely debated among the public. They debate on whether it is right or wrong to execute a person who does not possess the capacity to think correctly. The mental illness is a disease that destroys a person’s memory, emotion, and prevent one or more function of the mind running properly. The disease affects the way a person thinks, feels, behaves and relates to others.When a person is severely mentally ill, his/ her ability to appreciate reality lack so they aspire to do stuff that is meaningless. The sickness is triggered by an amalgamation of genetic, and environmental factors not a personal imperfection. On the death penalty website, Scott Panetti who killed his mother in-law and father-in-law reports that since 1983, over 60 people with mental illness or retardation have been executed in the United States (Panetti). The American Civil Liberties Union says that it is unconstitutional to execute someone who suffered from an earnest mental illness (ACLU).Some people apply the term crazy or mad to describe a person who suffers from astringent psychological disorders because a mad person look different than a mundane human being. The time has come for us to accept the fact that executing mentally ill offenders is not beneficial to society for many reasons. Although some mentally ill criminals have violated the law, we need to sustain a federal law that mentally ill criminals should not be put to death.

    Read More

  • Death Penalty Persuasive Essay

    797 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to deathpenatlyinfo.org, currently there are 32 states with the death penalty and 18 states without the death penalty. Society has always punished people for doing unlawful actions. Being that murder is the most in the highest interest of preventing, the strongest punishment available, the death penalty, is used. People may think when states sentence murderers to death that it would prevent future murderers from doing the same actions, seeing that they will receive the same punishment. Deathpenaltycurriculum.org reports, “Moreover, even if some studies regarding deterrence are inconclusive, that is only because the death penalty is rarely used and takes years before an execution is actually carried out”.

    Read More

  • The Death Penalty

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • The Death Penalty

    1561 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Facts about the Death Penalty.” Deathpenaltyinfo.org. 26 Jan 2011. Death Penalty Information Center. 31 Jan 2011. Web.

    Read More

  • Is Capital Punishment Ethical?

    2399 Words  | 5 Pages

    On the other side of the debate, there are those that believe that the death penalty is a deterrent. For most criminals, they are aware of the fact that if they get caught, they will be sent to prison. However, other than being sent to prison, there are not really any other repercussions for committing a crime. They argue that if a person were to be presented with the possibility of the death penalty, they would more than likely think twice about their actions and realize that there are more risks than just im...

    Read More

  • The Death Penalty Deters Crime and Saves Lives

    1155 Words  | 3 Pages

    Markoff, Steven C. "Death Penalty ProCon.org." Death Penalty ProCon.org. N.p., 12 July 2014. Web. 4 Mar. 2015.

    Read More

  • Capital Punishment Persuasive Essay

    1461 Words  | 3 Pages

    Capital punishment goes against almost every religion. Isolated passages of religious scripture have been quoted in support of the death penalty, almost all religious groups in the United States regard executions as immoral. There is no credible evidence that capital punishment deters crime from the streets in America. Scientific studies have consistently failed to demonstrate that executions deter people from committing crime anymore than long prison sentences. Moreover, states without the death penalty have much lower murder rates. Executions are carried out at staggering cost to taxpayer.The funds spent for execution should be used to target the issue of killing and find solutions to help communities unite to demonstrate a more peaceful environment. Recent CNN reported how studies done have found that the death penalty criminal litigation, costs taxpayers far more than seeking life without parole. (CNN, 2015) The states spends millions of dollars to put away death row inmates when the funds could be used to help channel society in tune with how to become more positive and getting help to those who need

    Read More

  • In Favor for the Death Penalty

    1163 Words  | 3 Pages

    Though the death penalty is considered barbaric, it is not. With those who have ones that have died viciously to the ones who died young there is such a thing as karma. The death penalty allows those people who committed the crime to be punished equally. Therefore, I agree with the reason for having the death penalty. It is only fair that the criminal be punished for his wrong doings. The bible does say, “An eye for an eye.” When there is equal punishment and safety it makes people worry less. It allows them to live out their lives in peace, and to not look back on something bad that has happened to them.

    Read More

More about The Death Penalty

Open Document