Cost Of Capital Punishment Essay

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“We punish criminals principally in order to pay them back, and we execute the worst of them out of moral necessity (Berns, 1979)”. Walter Berns is stating in a society there are norms and laws written to ensure utility for every citizen. We write laws for the protection of civilization. When criminals break these laws, they disregard the will of the people and seek to chip away or erode law’s foundation and rule. By living in a society we have agreed to make and live under a set of rules for the good of the people. When we break these rules, we should be punished. When we break laws, we are breaking the promise to treat each other with care and respect. It shows contempt for one’s fellow man. As Kant ethics state we as good people must do our duty that duty is to obey and uphold the laws. When there is a price to be paid for breaking the law people will respect the law. Life is also a sacred right, gift, and privilege given by God. Only God can give this gift, therefore …show more content…

A prisoner serving the rest of their life in prison is no longer a threat to society. Capital crimes costs are significantly higher to investigate and prosecute than regular crimes. The cost does not end at the end of convictions the price tag increases when the cost of appeals to state appellate courts, state habeas corpus proceedings, and appeals to federal courts. The court proceeding often goes on for years. “Since 1978 the state of California has executed 13 people. It cost the state $4 billion: about $308 million per execution. A recent study reports that California spends an additional $184 million per year to support the death penalty (McConnell,2014)”. One can raise the question could the taxpayer's money have been better spent on finding a solution to the problems that cause murderers to take lives. Problems like poverty, drug

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