Pros And Cons Of Abolishing The Death Penalty

Has it ever occurred to you that you can be executed for a crime that you didn’t commit, even though it’s method of killing is expensive and utterly unconstitutional? Connecticut made the right decision in abolishing the death penalty. It has since allowed many to release heart ache and heal as well as move on from the past. A dark past where capital punishment was allowed. Since the abolishment of it, our state has become better civilized.

In the average of 38 people executed a year in the United States it costs roughly 35 billion dollars a year (DPIC Staff). Contrary to the belief, the majority of the money for each execution comes pre-trial, jury selection, and incarceration. The lethal injection, commonly used today, is actually quite

This is due to the fact that the drugs being used in the lethal injection are not tested prior to the execution. Joseph R. Wood is a perfect example of these botched executions. According to a reporter he gasped at least 640 times before dying (Smith, 2014). The point of a lethal injection is to not cause pain so that we do not breach the 8th Amendment. However, on many occasions we have breached the 8th Amendment. Clayton Lockett’s execution in 2014 is one that won’t be forgotten. It took him 43 minutes to die and in that time he also experienced a heart attack according to Mariano Castillo a CNN reporter. Due to the fact that Lockett died from the execution drugs many believe that his execution was not botched. Yes, he died from the lethal injection but it also took him over 40 minutes to die and he experienced a heart attack. Not only was the heart attack in play but, “he started kicking, twitching, and writhing and moaning in agony” his lawyer described it as “torture” (Smith, 2014). If an execution, that is only supposed to take 10 minutes maximum, exceeds 15 minutes it would be declared botched just as Lockett’s was. Both men experienced a cruel and unusual capital punishment and although neither occurred in Connecticut it’s a relief that we don’t have to handle such mismanaged

Families all over the country suffer because they realize that once they walk into that courtroom, they relive their family member’s death over and over again. Gail Rice, a woman who lost her brother says, “ ‘With the death penalty abolished, murder victims' family members will really be freed to get on with their life. They won't be going back and forth, carrying this false hope that can only be cured with this execution.’ ” (Brachear, 2011). Gail was once a full advocate for the death penalty until she realized that the death penalty gave people “false hope” (Brachear, 2011). She wanted revenge but then realized that every time she walked into that court it was like her brother, Bruce, was being murdered before her eyes (Brachear, 2011). With the death penalty, she wasn’t able to heal. She couldn’t accept the fact that her brother was gone and it made her carry so much hatred for the murderer that she was not herself (Brachear, 2011). You need to forgive to heal and that is what Rice did to finally remember her brother in peace (Brachear, 2011). Living with that false hope isn’t worth it. Your family member has died at the hands of another, but that doesn’t mean that their killer should die too. When they are given a lethal injection or even electrocuted they should be gone in a matter of minutes. But that isn’t enough, they are not suffering as the victim's