Capital Punishment is Not Moral

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One issue that continues to divide America is the death penalty. In the United States today, 32 states allow the death penalty as the maximum form of punishment and 18 states have since abolished it and have replaced it with Life without parole. As of July 1, 2013 there are a total of 3,095 inmates currently incarcerated on Death Row. Since 1976, 1,370 death row inmates have been executed (“Facts on the Death Penalty”). Overall, it is a very controversial topic with many different views. Many supporters of the death penalty believe that it is more ethical to carry out capital punishment since those who are receiving it have committed the most heinous and unforgivable crimes. The evidence and research shows that capital punishment is not morally permissible. Many studies show that the death penalty costs much more than life without parole for the max punishment (Dieter 6). There is also a lack of evidence on the deterrent effect that retribution and the death penalty has on would-be murderers. The criminal justice system is not perfect and is bound to make mistakes. Innocent beings have been placed on death row later being exonerated, some even after execution. States should abolish capital punishment and replace it with a life sentence without the possibility for parole and include restitution. Expense States should turn to alternative forms of maximum punishment because of how costly it is to carry out the Death Penalty. There are less expensive forms of punishment available to states such as Life without Parole. Death Row inmates require higher security and special types of housing (Evans 76). According to a report done by the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice in 2008, it costs on average $90,000... ... middle of paper ... ...ber?, 46 LOY. L.A. L. REV. S1 (2012). Mitchell, Hayley R., ed. The Death Penalty. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2001. Print. Radelet, Michael L., and Traci L. Lacock. "Do Executions Lower Homicide Rates? The Views of Leading Criminologists." The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology99.2 (2009): 489-508. Death Penalty Information Center. Northwestern University School of Law, 2009. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. Reitan, Eric. "Why the Deterrence Argument for Capital Punishment Fails." Criminal Justice Ethics 12.1 (1993): 26-33. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. Spence, Sean. "Bad Or Mad?" New Scientist 181.2439 (2004): 38-41. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Mar. 2014. United States. Department of Justice. The United States Department of Justice. By Eric Holder. N.p., 03 Aug. 2009. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. .

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