The Death Penalty In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

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Recommended: Controversy surrounding the death penalty

The death penalty is a punishment of execution, administered to someone legally for committing a capital crime. There are many ways in which someone can receive the punishment, such as, lethal injections, hanging, the electric chair, firing squad, beheading, and crucifixion. Some methods are more common than others. Many people have debated whether or not there should be a death penalty for criminals. Some believe that if there is a death penalty, then there will be less murders, rapes and other horrible crimes. People also say that the death penalty will decrease overcrowding in prisons. Others believe that there shouldn’t be a death penalty because they think people should have the right whether or not to live or die. In some cases, innocent people have been falsely convicted and then sentenced the death penalty. In Truman Capote’s novel, In Cold Blood, both Richard “Dick” Hickock and Perry Smith were sentenced to death by hanging for the murders of the Clutter family. Perry
Dick and Perry both were involved with the murders of the Clutter family, but only Perry killed the four members of the family. Perry deserves to be hanged but Dick does not. Although Dick didn’t kill anyone there, he helped and planned going to the Clutter home. Therefore Dick does deserve to be punished, but the death penalty was extreme for his crimes. Perry does the death penalty unlike Dick. He openly confessed to killing the family and showed no remorse for the family. Some people think it safer for citizens if the criminals are executed after committing horrible crimes. Some also think its only fair if someone kills someone then they should not be able to live. Many people think the death penalty should be abolished. Numerous innocent people were convicted for crimes they didn’t commit. Also many religions believe that punishment is immoral. Having the death penalty does not have any regard for those religious

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