Pros And Cons Of Killing The Death Penalty

There will be some individuals who stand behind it, some who do not, and some who prefer other options like solitary confinement. Sentencing one to death out of fear of what they might be or what they could become is not a reason to end someone’s life. Those who are on death row have to spend days, months, or even years waiting; waiting to hear if might be released or if their execution date has been set. If an individual has committed such a barbaric crime, the court should not stoop to their level and commit murder. Outsiders, who have never stepped a foot in prison, do not know what it is like.

So, 19 states disagree with the death penalty. So for the federal government to come in a change that will cause some effects happen. A good side of stopping capital punishment is that the drugs that are being used are expensive and there is a shortage. Plus it expensive to get the needed drugs. Though if it continue to happen then the shortage will increase.

Being on death row often prolongs the pain for the inmate. They spend their time in prison fearing the inevitable which for them is death. Today, we live in a society that is very divided on this issue. There are many in support of the death penalty, suggesting that it acts as a positive deterrent against future crime. There are also many

Radeler and Traci L. Locock conducted their own research. They titled it “Do Executions Lower Homicide Rates?” In 2008 they sent questions to some of the top criminologist and one of the questions found that “eighty-nine percent of the criminologist don’t think that the death penalty is effective.” (Radeler , Locock 2009 pg. 501). The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is one of the key fighters trying to get rid of the death penalty.

The US Supreme Court’s decision on the abolition of capital punishment was correct because capital punishment violates the eighth and fourteenth amendments, provides no evidence of deterioration of crime rates, and falls unequally on society. Violates Eighth Amendment:

“‘Death sentences represent less than one-tenth of 1% of prison sentences in the United States…,’” (Von Drehle, 9). Furthermore, death row is just a small fraction of the criminal justice system and can not be based on that alone. For instance, what many don't take into account is the justice systems allows for many states, such as the populous state of New York, to ban the death penalty. (state laws, p1)

Yet, numerous research has shown that the death penalty has no effect on the deterrence of crime. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, murder rates have remained consistently higher in states with the death penalty than their neighboring non death penalty states. Another argument of advocates of the death penalty is that it prevents crime by putting fear of death in the minds of criminals. However, most crimes are committed in a heat of passion, therefore, criminals are mainly concerned about whether they will be caught, not what might happen to them afterwards. Since most murders are not recidivists, the death penalty does not work as a deterrent.

A question to ask regarding capital punishment in the United States is not about the deserving nature of an individual's punishment for their crime, but instead if, as a society, we deserve to take the responsibility of ending someone's life. Nobody should ever be given the accountability for another person's existence. Taking someone's last breaths is not justice. Killing someone is the easiest way out. They should remain for the rest of their lives contemplating their deeds and how they ruined their own lives.

However, the death penalty reduces overcrowding, provides closure for victim’s family, and is true justice. Capital punishment can deal with overpopulated prisons in the United States. Prison overcrowding is one of the contributing factors to poor prison conditions. Its consequences can prevent prisons from fulfilling their functions as well (penalreform.org). For example, it can increase sickness among the inmates and prison guards.

Everyone want their family to live in a safe environment, but when there are criminals that are lose lower the chances of a safe place to live. If the death penalty were to pass the crime rate in the United States would lower. This would not make an everywhere a safe, but it can make everywhere just a little more

In “Deterrence and the Death Penalty: Why the Statistics Should Be Ignored,” Daniel Nagin explains why the statistics are not reliable. According to researchers, studies have reached different and contradictory outcomes. Some studies say that executions save numerous lives and other studies say that executions increase homicides while others say that executions have no effect on homicide. The National Research Council recommends that studies on the effect of capital punishment on homicide is not informative about whether capital punishment decreases, increases, or has no effect on homicide rates. Thus, the committee suggests that these studies should not be used as reliable information on how death penalty affects homicide.

Capital punishment also violates the constitutional guarantee of equal protection, by putting you in a building where anything can happen for the time being. Capital punishment does not protect the felon but only the victim and the citizens. The felon would be more protected in prison or jail rather than Death Row. After the fact of the felony, all the felons rights are stripped away. Capital punishment also opens the possibility of careless executions.

Although the death penalty may bring some closure to families of the victims and even the victims themselves it still should be abolished because the negatives outweigh the positives. People could be murdered by the state even if they are innocent. They are taking away any chance these people have at a normal life even though it's a life that they deserve and did nothing to have it taken away. 6. Conclusion

Ounce society is enlightened of these statistics, they will see that capital punishment has no place in the justice of this country. The first claim of supporters is that they are under the opinion that it is much more expensive to keep a convicted criminal in prison for life than to simply pull their plug. At first glance this statement seems to be more than rational. The problem here is that people don 't realize the big picture of the situation at hand.

There are some states where the death penalty or also known as capital punishment doesn’t exist, in that case is where, life without parole is their sentence. This is putting them on prison, keeping them from society, it’s almost just as bad as death penalty. There are many opinions about the death penalty, opinions like it being inhumane, or cruel and painful. Whatever the circumstance, there is a high percentage of inmates that get sentenced or put on death row, and they don’t even see the chamber. Mostly because the death rate is low in a lot of states.