Preview

Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1323 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty
Through statistics, newspaper articles, internet findings and information from the US General Accounting office today I am going to persist in convincing my target audience that the death penalty is not a part of the correctional system . I will begin with a quote by Richard Dieter, an executive director from the death penalty information center, "The punishment of criminals by society is for the protection of society from punishment. But since such treatment is directed to the criminal rather than the crime, its great object should be his moral regeneration. The state has not discharged its whole duty to the criminal when it has punished him, nor even when it has reformed him. Having raised him up, it has further duty to aid in holding him …show more content…
Since the death penalty was reinstated, over 100 death row inmates have had their convictions overturned. Over half of these reversals have occurred since 1990. This is not a problem that is going away—the system is human and fallible. Mistakes can happen anywhere in the criminal justice system, but with the death penalty they bury their mistakes. And with so many mistakes revealed in recent years, they should not be executing anyone. If the death penalty were an assembly line, and it produced defective products that were endangering people's lives, the factory would be closed; and the products would be recalled. Here's a true story of a boy named Anthony Porter that I found in Chicago Sun Times. Porter was scheduled to be executed in September 1998 in Illinois. Porter was mentally retarded and his attorneys successfully asked the judge for a hearing to determine whether he was competent enough to be executed. With this long delay waiting execution, there was an opportunity for a journalism class at Northwestern University to take Porter's case as an investigative exercise. The students assigned to Porter's case tried to re-enact the scene of the crime, but the description from the trial would not match the real scene. They next contacted one of the witnesses. Amazingly, she admitted that she had lied about Porter at his trial. Moreover, she led the …show more content…
Even if the death penalty is unfairly administered, and makes too many mistakes, and even if it does not make society safer and costs hundreds of millions of dollars, at least it serves the victims of crime. According to the death penalty information center Today, many victims' families are turning away from the death penalty. For one thing, the death penalty produces division in the victims' community and disappointment for 99% of the families involved. Since less than 1% of those who commit murder are ever executed, the families in the rest of the cases may feel cheated that their loved one was somehow short changed. And even where the death penalty is "the reward," it will only occur after 10 long years of uncertainty before an execution is carried out. Most likely, the case will be overturned at least once, it will be tried again, and in many instances a different sentence will result. We should not be putting victims through such a roller coaster of unpredictability. They should know right from the start that an execution is one of the least likely outcomes in their
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Ap Synthesis Reflection
    • 2374 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Ap Synthesis Reflection

    My opinion at first towards the death penalty was that if the crime was gruesome enough then the person should also pay through being put to death but after watching “Dead Man Walking” my opinion on this issue completely changed. It showed me that through counseling and programs showed in the movie, the inmate could truly change for the better. And that we should move forward in the direction of helping rehabilitate the inmate rather than using the death penalty because it is not only expensive but in affective towards the long term goal of living in a progressive and harmonious society. One very positive way to lead us to this society is through restorative justice, which has made a huge positive impact throughout the United…

    • 2374 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Pros And Cons Of Capital Punishment
    • 78 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Pros And Cons Of Capital Punishment

    The debate over whether or not capital punishment should be used has gone on for thousands of years. Although the method of capital punishment has changed the idea of it has not. Capital punishment will always have its disadvantages and its advantages. There has always been an intense debate among the people regarding the constitutionality of capital punishment. In my opinion, capital punishment should only be used in harsh cases that the convicted person is proven guilty in.…

    • 78 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Are The Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty
    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages

    What Are The Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty

    The debate on the pros and cons of the death penalty has gone on for decades. There are some people who oppose the death penalty because they fell it is a system that is so flawed that it serves no purpose. For instance, those against the death penalty believe that this sentence has the potential for an error because it is possible that the wrong person can be executed. Unfortunately, there is no way for those who decide who is guilty to always be 100 percent accurate.…

    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty
    • 100 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty

    The death penalty is used universally, in developed countries, as well as, in undeveloped countries. The death penalty is used more for retribution and retaliation than it is for justice. The death penalty does not deter crime effectively, it is incompatible with human rights and human dignity, used against minorities and the poor, and there is always the risk of executing innocent people. Its easy to agree to the death penalty when the accused is not someone you know...bu what if the accused was your son, daughter, father, mother, brother, or sister? Would you still be for the death penalty?…

    • 100 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pros And Cons Of Abolishing The Death Penalty
    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Pros And Cons Of Abolishing The Death Penalty

    Patricia Cornwell once said “First of all, it does not deter crime, the death penalty.” So why was it made in the first place? Well, many believe that with this system we can eliminate atrocious criminals such as Timothy McVeigh, a young man who bombed Oklahoma City taking the lives of 168 people, who was later executed. This definitely helps in removing that one criminal, but what about the other thousands? If the death penalty were enforced in Canada then it not only do so but also increase our taxes, put innocent lives at risk, and in all reality have no effect on murder rates. Why would you want to let such a problematic sentencing be legalized in such a fine country like ours.…

    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Pro & Cons of Capital Punishment
    • 4499 Words
    • 13 Pages

    Pro & Cons of Capital Punishment

    The “death penalty” is currently utilized in thirteen states throughout the United States. There are currently 3,242 people sitting on “death row” and 43 of those are currently incarcerated here in Nevada. The death penalty is nothing new. Everyone has either read about or watched movies of people having their heads chopped off during medieval times, hangings during western times and one of the most severe executions throughout the ages is that of the crucifixions during the time of Christ. Then there were the executions that few have been aware of and are most likely one of the cruelest of all were the ones of a person convicted of patricide. They would be “tied to a sack with a cockerel, a poisonous snake and a dog, and then thrown into the river, or sea.” (Jerome, 2012).…

    • 4499 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Death Penalty Pros And Cons
    • 138 Words
    • 1 Page

    Death Penalty Pros And Cons

    Some pros to the death penalty are that it protects innocent people and that the death penalty serves as a deterrent. Sentencing convicted murderers with the death penalty we are protecting inmates, guards, and people outside the prison. If we do not sentence convicted murderers with the death penalty and instead sentence them with life we are giving them the opportunity to murder while in prison. A statistic shows that by executing convicted murderers we are saving from three to eighteen innocent lives. The death penalty serves as a deterrent because without the death penalty there would be a lot more murderers. This is so because a lot of people do not commit murder in fear of the death penalty and those who have committed murder would…

    • 138 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Assignment 2: Civil Rights Vs Public Safety
    • 1847 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Assignment 2: Civil Rights Vs Public Safety

    The death penalty has been an ongoing debate on whether it should be allowed or whether it violates our constitutional right. While most developed Western nations have stopped executing the United States continues to execute offenders (Zimring 2004). From 1977 through 2008 1,136 people have been executed, which consisted of people who committed murder (Procon 2010). Those who are in favor of the death penalty believe it is an important tool to help deter crime and it cost less than life imprisonment (Procon 2010). They believe retribution helps console the grieving family and it also ensures that the offender will never be able to commit another heinous crime (Procon 2010). According to Grant (2004) some people believe that some offenders should face the death penalty because of vengeance and retribution for violent crimes. During the…

    • 1847 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Death Penalty: The Appeal Process
    • 1025 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Death Penalty: The Appeal Process

    It is pivotal that capital punishment cases have a chance to be looked at again by a whole new group of people. The appeal process allows for death row inmates to have the chance to fight back at the system. It is not a cheap when an inmate wants to have their case looked at by the appellate court. The price can range from a couple thousand dollars, and can even get to the millions depending on various factors. While having a case heard by any of the appellate courts in United States, the defendant most likely has more expert testimony and newly acquired evidence. It all takes time and money, but nothing in the court system happens overnight. When sentencing someone to the death penalty, the court must be 100% sure this person is guilty for the crime they were convicted for. It is the courts way of justifying their decision to putting someone to death. That’s is main reason why all these cases must go through the excruciating process. Overall the death penalty must be abolished, because it is a waste of government money and the criminal justice system is not punishing anyone by putting them out of their misery. All it is truthfully doing is making death row inmates famous. What is the lesson learned if someone murders a person and is punished for that crime, but then the justice system does the same thing? It is like what our parents say that still holds true throughout life, “two wrongs do not make a…

    • 1025 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Positive Effects Of Sentencing
    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Positive Effects Of Sentencing

    Many look upon this topic as a religious moral issue. The National Coalition against Death Penalty states that “the death penalty devalues all human life- eliminating the possibility for transformation of human spirit.” This organization also states that the death penalty “is fallible and irrevocable” , their studies show that over 100 inmates have been released from death row after new technological testing regarding their cases found them to be innocent.(1) On the reverse side of this religious outlook, there are those such as J. Melton that believe, the death penalty was started by God, himself when wrote in the bible, “He that killeth by the sword must be killed by the sword.”(Revelations 13:10). (2) There have been studies by Emory University professors, in 2003, state that each execution deters an average of 18 murders. A similar study in 2004 stated that it is believed that speeding up execution would strengthen deterrent effect. For every 2.75 years cut from time spent on death row it is said that 1 murder would be prevented. Another aspect of the death penalty is that of those who believe that rehabilitation is ineffective and capital punishment is the only punishments that is equivalent to some of the violent offenses committed and think that it is a way for closure for the families of the victims.(3) In my opinion, I believe that it is not just a…

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Meme
    • 623 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Meme

    The main problem with the death penalty is that those that are wrgonly accused can still be executed. On estimate, one death row inmate is wrongly executed out of every seven! ("Update: Death Penalty") "The 100-Plus innocent people exonerated from death row represent further proof that the death penalty should be abolished." (Update: Death Penalty") This means that if the accused's verdict is incorrect and they are sent to death before they realize that he was wrongly accused, that's one innocent life wasted that could have been saved if this punishment was not used. A way that this could happen could be caused due to bad lawyers. "Perhaps the most important factor in determining whether a defendant will receive the death penalty is the quality of the representation he or she is provided. Almost all defendants in capital cases cannot afford their own attorneys. In many cases, the appointed attorneys are overworked, underpaid, or lacking the trial experience required for death penalty cases. There have even been instances in which lawyers appointed to a death case were so inexperienced that they were completely unprepared for the sentencing phase of the trial. Other appointed attorneys have slept through parts of the trial, or arrived at the court under the influence of alcohol." (Facts & Figures of the Death Penalty) This goes to show on how biased and unfair this punishment is. If the defendant's lawyer isn't as…

    • 623 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Should Death Penalty Be Abolished In The United States?
    • 1868 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Should Death Penalty Be Abolished In The United States?

    One major purpose of the death penalty is to punish people for their horrible crimes. However, the death penalty has put many innocent people on death row. Since 1973, 156 people have been exonerated (released from death row/evidence shows they aren’t guilty). The average time between getting the death sentence and exoneration is about 11 years. This is already terrible, forcing innocent people to believe that their life is nearly over, because of a crime that they didn’t commit, but it gets worse. It is very likely that people living in the United States have been wrongly executed. Multiple cases have evidence that proves that the “criminal” is actually innocent. In 1991, the house of Cameron Todd Willingham was destroyed by a fire, killing the three children who were sleeping inside. Willingham escaped and his wife was shopping at the time. Prosecutors stated that Willingham had purposefully set the house on fire to cover up the abuse of his children. He was executed by lethal injection in 2004. However, there is a proof that shows that the fire was not caused by Willingham. Unfortunately, nothing can be done now because these people have already been executed, but it does teach us one thing: If the death penalty cannot be used to punish the real offender and risks the lives of innocent people in the process, it can’t be used by our…

    • 1868 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Death Penalty In The United States
    • 2843 Words
    • 12 Pages

    Death Penalty In The United States

    The death penalty in the United States is a constant source of controversy. Efforts to abolish capital punishment in America date back to over 100 years and continue to expand in present-day. In addition, all 50 states vary in their retention and application of the death penalty. Currently, the death penalty is legal in 32 states, the distribution of the actual executions however, is quite wide. The five states with the highest number of executions performed account for approximately 65% of the total executions in the country since the US Supreme Court re-affirmed and reinstated the death penalty in 1976. The state of Texas alone is responsible for almost 37% of the country’s executions. In contrast,…

    • 2843 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Controversy Surrounding The Death Penalty
    • 1261 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Controversy Surrounding The Death Penalty

    Capital punishment is embedded on an offender in case or a murder, drug trafficking, rape of a minor, treason, espionage, and few others. There are many questions that can be asked concerning this issue. Some are: Does it affect your religion? Do you believe it deters crime? Is the cost of the death penalty worth it? Is it humane? Noted in interviewing on these questions, most of the people say that the death penalty does not deter crime, that it is against their religion, it is a humane way to kill people, and that the cost is not worth it. For the most part the people whom were interviewed believe that the offenders who have committed capital crimes should just be put in jail for life instead of being put on the death…

    • 1261 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Thesis Statement For Death Penalty Research Paper
    • 2185 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Thesis Statement For Death Penalty Research Paper

    This article provides applicable information from many sources such as a Governors, Political Science Professors, the Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center as well as the President of the United States, providing legitimacy to the…

    • 2185 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics