...Pros and Cons of Capital Punishment Capital punishment is a topic that anyone can count on to stir emotional discussions with plenty of opinions. In the world today, people commit horrific crimes daily. There are many who feel that those who carry out these terrible crimes deserve one fate: death. Capital punishment is used in reference to the death penalty that is issued in a judicial manner to execute those found guilty of a capital or hard offense. This according to our text is called legal punishment. Legal punishment is defined as the state-authorized imposition of some form of deprivation-of liberty, resources, or even life-upon a person justly convicted of a violation of the criminal law. (Stohr, pg 3) In this review of the pros and cons of the death penalty we will examine some different aspects of the process and allow the reader to form their own opinion. History The death penalty can be traced back a long time throughout history. The first established death penalty laws date back to the Eighteenth Century B.C. In the code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon, which gave the death penalty for 25 different crimes. This code expressed the well-known concept of lex talionis (the law of equal retaliation), which is further enunciated in the Mosaic code, the ancient law of the Hebrews, as “an eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth.” (Stohr, pg. 3) During the 18th century, many philosophers like Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham wrote influential writings on prison...
Words: 1654 - Pages: 7
...Death Penalty English Composition CM-220 Unit 2 Assignment March 31, 2013 Death Penalty My “Big Idea” topic is on the death penalty. My thesis statement is: Capital punishment is controversial and people have many different feelings about it but I believe that the death penalty is beneficial to society and the public and that the United States should continue to use capital punishment. When doing research for an essay paper it is important to use reputable sources and avoid unreliable or opinionated web sites or articles, such as Wikipedia and Answers.com. Areas or items I will use to do research for my death penalty paper will be the U.S. Department of Justice, Amnesty International, CNN news reports and articles, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Pro-death Penalty web site. The Kaplan library has a Homeland Security Digital Library database which might contain some information that I can use and the Newspaper Source database is bound to have some pertinent information. The Kaplan library also has an abundance of articles and reports as well as a database with news and current topics I can explore for information. To get an idea of some material readily available in the Kaplan library database I did a keyword search on “pro death penalty” articles and three periodicals came up that I am going to review and they are: Top Ten Death Penalty Myths: The Politics of Crime Control; Debating the Death Penalty: Should America Have Capital Punishment; and Capital...
Words: 468 - Pages: 2
...Policy-The Death Penalty Patrice Green Dr. Humphress Politics, Policy, and Ethics in the Public Sector April 26, 2013 The first confirmation of the death penalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century in Babylon. Death penalty, legal infliction of death as a penalty for violating criminal law. The death penalty was codified for 25 different crimes. Such things carried out the death sentence as crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive, and impalement (Randa, 1997). The practice of the death penalty is as old as the government itself. The death penalty has not been considered controversial for most of history. Since ancient times most governments have punished a wide variety of crimes by death and have conducted executions as a routine part of the administration of criminal law. The Age of Enlightenment was the first significant movement to abolish the death penalty. Britain was very influential in America’s use of the death penalty. The European settlers that came to the new world are the one’s that brought the practice of capital punishment, death penalty. The first execution was recorded in the Jamestown Colony of Virginia in 1608. The Divine, Moral, and Martial Laws were enacted in 1612 by the Governor of Virginia, Sir Thomas Dale. The death penalty was established for minor offenses such as killing chickens, stealing grapes, and trading with Indians. It was Cesare Beccaria’s 1767 essay, On Crimes and Punishment that caused...
Words: 1018 - Pages: 5
...Capital punishment, also called death penalty, is the execution of an offender sentenced to death after conviction by a court of law of a criminal offense. The practice of executing people for certain crimes is very old; in fact, the term itself dates to a Latin root, capitalis, which means “of the head,” a reference to a common execution method used in Roman times. Currently 58 nations actively practice it, 97 countries have abolished it, and the remainders have not used it for 10 years or allow it only in exceptional circumstances such as wartime. However, It is a matter of active controversy in various countries as it violates human rights. What Is Capital Punishment Capital punishment is a practice in which prisoners are executed in accordance with judicial practice when they are convicted of committing what is known as a capital crime or capital offense. In other words, capital punishment or the death penalty is a legal process whereby a person is put to death by the state as a punishment for a crime. The judicial decree that someone be punished in this manner is a death sentence, while the actual process of killing the person is an execution. History Of Capital Punishment Early Laws The first established death penalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes. The death penalty was also part of the Fourteenth Century B.C.'s Hittite Code; in the Seventh...
Words: 4497 - Pages: 18
...The Death Penalty; when people hear this term many thoughts and emotions are immediately brought to mind. The death penalty is considered by many to be the harshest form of punishment for crimes against society, but is it too harsh? Many would argue that it is cruel and unusual punishment and that it punishes not just the one convicted but also all of those involved. In this paper we will look at not only the one receiving the punishment but also those involved, including the family of the victim, the jurors, the executioner(s), and the family members of the one being convicted and argue that the sociological impact that the death penalty creates is too devastating for its continued use in the United States. “The first established death penalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes. (deathpenaltyinfo.org)” This is where the term “eye for an eye” originated as well as the belief that the crimes punishment must equal the severity of the crime. United States law was heavily influenced by Great Britain due to Britain maintaining primary control of the original 13 colonies. Currently, in the United States, the Death Penalty is mainly used as a form of punishment for first degree murder however some states still use it for acts of treason. Opposition of the Death Penalty began obtaining a foot hold during the Abolitionist movement when Cesare Beccaria's 1767 essay, On...
Words: 1023 - Pages: 5
...accused to a punishment is important. Some criminals commit a crime because they have no other option, some do it for fun and for their own benefit. I do not approve of the death penalty for everybody. A person who stole from a store, is definitely not a deserving person for the death penalty, But, a serial killer, who kills people just because he wants to, definitely deserves to be removed from society. The death penalty should be pursued in the United States in order to eliminate horrible people from the world. Not everyone deserves to die, but some people do. If someone killed one of your family members or someone who meant the world to you, do you think they deserve to live? The 5 different forms of execution in the united states are Lethal injection, electrocution, lethal gas, firing squad, and hanging. Lethal injection is the most common. A lot of people see both sides of the death penalty and some people are unsure on how they think about it. Many people support the death penalty, while others wish for the death penalty to be abolished,...
Words: 728 - Pages: 3
...The United States of America is often perceived as the most progressive and advanced society in the world. Unfortunately, when it comes to the existent of capital punishment, America is far behind. The death penalty’s use in America was influenced by Great Britain. When European settlers came to America, they brought with them the practice of capital punishment. In 1846 Michigan became the first state to abolish the death penalty, but opposition to the death penalty waned during the Civil War. During the early 20th century death penalty abolishment was scattered. Due to Prohibition and the Great Depression, the death penalty saw a resurgence. In 1972 the death penalty was suspended in the United States due to Furman v. Georgia, where it was ruled that the death penalty statutes were ruled as unconstitutional. After death penalty reforms were ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court, the death penalty was reinstated (History of the Death Penalty). To this day the use of capital punishment still exists in the United States. The practice of the death penalty has come under fire in recent years. The financial burden of the death penalty, the failure to act as a deterrent, and racial discrimination are major reasons for the death penalty to be eradicated. All other industrialized nations have abolished the death penalty, it is time for the United States to catch up to the rest of the world by abolishing capital punishment in its entirety. When the country is in debt, and states...
Words: 1614 - Pages: 7
...Is capital punishment the best option? Capital Punishment is the execution of an offender sentenced to death after conviction by a court of law of a criminal offense. In other words, it is a legal process where a person is sentenced to death as a punishment of a crime. While there is much to say about capital punishment, this paper will focus on history, method of executions, and controversy. In this essay we are going to focus just in the state of Florida. Therefore, the history of capital punishment in the state of Florida is where we shall begin. The death penalty has been a legal way of punishment in the United States for capital crimes since English common law was enforced in the Colonies. However, in the state of Florida it has been legal approximately only for forty years. When executions first started being carried out in Florida, the executions were carried out by the county, rather than the state. Then, when executions were placed under state control, and in an effort to be more humane, Florida changed execution methods from hanging to electrocution. Frank Johnson was the first inmate executed in Florida by electric chair. A more disturbing fact is that the youngest inmates executed in Florida were both only 16 years old. Many centuries ago, the simplest and most common way of imposing the death penalty was by beheading or hanging. However in Florida, there have been two ways of capital executions: lethal injection and electrocution. Lethal injection consists...
Words: 640 - Pages: 3
...university students in academic essays. The system embeds comments into your paper and suggests possible changes in grammar and style. Please evaluate each comment carefully to ensure that the suggested change is appropriate for your paper, but remember that your instructor's preferences for style and format prevail. You will also need to review your own citations and references since WritePoint capability in this area is limited. Thank you for using WritePoint. Should the United States allow capital punishment or should they do away with it? Many people think the United States should do away and many think they should maintain capital punishment. I am one who opposes capital punishment. Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as the punishment for an offense (Kronenwetter, 2011, P. 202). The United States as a county rank fourth in the number of executions every year. According to the Bible the Sixth Commandment “Thou shall not kill.” I believe this with all my heart. So I believe capital punishment is killing a person, therefore disobeying my God’s word. Not all the states in the United States allow capital punishments. There are many states that oppose it and many that support it. Capital punishment is different in every state though, the government determined whether capital punishment is allowed in their state. The government also decides what crimes would result in capital punishment methods. There...
Words: 807 - Pages: 4
...Argument for Capital Punishment Since the 1970's, almost all capital sentences in the United States have been imposed for homicide. There has been intense debate among Americans regarding the constitutionality of capital punishment. Critics charge that executions are violations of the “cruel and unusual punishment” provision of the Eighth Amendment; while supporters of the death penalty counter that this clause was not intended to prohibit legal executions. In the 1972 court case of Furman vs. Georgia , the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment was no longer legal. However, in Gregg v. Georgia (1976), the court allowed capital punishments to resume in certain states, and shortly thereafter, Gary Gilmore was executed by a firing squad in Utah. Since the reinstatement of capital punishment in the United States,a separate penalty trial has been required for some capital cases, at which time the jury reviews circumstances that suggest the need for capital punishment. In 1982, Texas became the first state to execute a prisoner using lethal injection; other common methods of execution used in the United States include lethal gas and electrocution. In recent years, the Supreme Court has made it more difficult for death row prisoners to file appeals. Nearly 3 of 4 americans support the death sentence as a form of punishment. The other third has condemned it and their list of claims against it is long. Opponents challenge proponents on issues of deterrence, economics, fallibility...
Words: 1933 - Pages: 8
...Nikita Federoff Essay #1 Joseph-Anthony Roberto January 26, 2012 Criminology-BHS 142 Capital Punishment I believe Capital Punishment to be one of the most important environmental forces currently impacting the United States Criminal Justice System in a negative way. Capital Punishment is defined as the lawful infliction of death as a punishment, Commonly known as the Death Penalty. The first known infliction of the death penalty occurred in the American colonies the year of 1608, The victim being Captain George Kendall in the Jamestown Colony. Throughout history the death penalty has been known to be carried out by one of five lawful means; Hanging, Gas Chambers, Firing Squad, Lethal Injection, and Electrocution. In the eighteenth century 162 documented executions took place, Followed by 1,391 executions in the nineteenth century. Towards the end of the Revolutionary War, 11 Colonies wrote new constitutions allowing Capital Punishment. Ironically, nine out of those eleven colonies did not allow “Cruel and Unusual Punishment.” The Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits the government from inflicting "cruel and unusual punishments." The uncertainty of the phrase "cruel and unusual." cause controversy's over the constitutionality of the death penalty. Some argue that the phrase "cruel and unusual" refers to the type of punishment inflicted, others feel that the phrase refers to the degree and duration of the punishment. The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected...
Words: 547 - Pages: 3
...Since the 1970's, almost all capital sentences in the United States have been imposed for homicide. There has been intense debate among Americans regarding the constitutionality of capital punishment. Critics charge that executions are violations of the “cruel and unusual punishment” provision of the Eighth Amendment; while supporters of the death penalty counter that this clause was not intended to prohibit legal executions. In the 1972 court case of Furman vs. Georgia , the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment was no longer legal. However, in Gregg v. Georgia (1976), the court allowed capital punishments to resume in certain states, and shortly thereafter, Gary Gilmore was executed by a firing squad in Utah. Since the reinstatement of capital punishment in the United States,a separate penalty trial has been required for some capital cases, at which time the jury reviews circumstances that suggest the need for capital punishment. In 1982, Texas became the first state to execute a prisoner using lethal injection; other common methods of execution used in the United States include lethal gas and electrocution. In recent years, the Supreme Court has made it more difficult for death row prisoners to file appeals. Nearly 3 of 4 americans support the death sentence as a form of punishment. The other third has condemned it and their list of claims against it is long. Opponents challenge proponents on issues of deterrence, economics, fallibility, and rehabilitation. Their...
Words: 1929 - Pages: 8
...Capital Punishment: A Historic Review Since the dawn of man, punishment has been an active part of society’s cultural structure designed to teach society members about morally acceptable behavior and attempts to promote progress and harmony among its citizens. Punishment can be categorized into four forms: retribution, deterrence, incapacitation and rehabilitation. Retribution argues that perpetrators of crimes should be punished by imposing a level of pain or punishment equal to or greater than the pain suffered by the victim. Deterrence can be further classified into two forms: general and specific. General deterrence seeks to influence individuals prior to the commission of a crime through fear of the known penalty. Specific deterrence focuses on seeking to impose punishment on the individual for lesser crimes in attempts to deter repeating or escalating criminal behavior. Incapacitation serves to remove individuals from society to ensure the safety of its members [3]. Capital punishment, commonly referred to as the death penalty, is the most extreme form of punishment imposed on an individual. It is currently defined as “the execution of a convicted criminal as punishment for the most serious of crimes [2]. Despite its current definition, its use throughout history has not always been so clearly defined and limiting. This paper will serve to discuss capital punishment and its application across time and the world. Application and Evolution Even before recorded history...
Words: 2947 - Pages: 12
...Capital punishment is actively practiced in 58 countries and 35 countries have abolished it de facto. The death penalty has in the past been practiced by most societies as a punishment for murder, political or religious dissidents. Yet, since the 19th century tolerance and respect for life has become of great importance. In this essay I will seek to answer if capital punishment should be reintroduced. Some people say that capital punishment acts as a deterrent. Facing this punishment a murderer may think twice before committing the crime. If one takes somebody’s life he has forfeit his own right to life. However, statistics show that crime rates in countries that practice capital punishment have not gone down. In fact, the United Stated murder rate is 6 times bigger than that of Britain or Australia. Neither country has the death penalty. Texas and Oklahoma have historically executed the most number of inmates who were sentenced to death, though in 2003 their murder rate was higher than the national average. ”I have never heard a murderer say they thought about the death penalty as consequence of their actions prior to committing their crimes” says Gregory Ruff, police lieutenant in Kansas. The life imprisonment, for some anti-death penalty activists, would be the best way to deter crime. On the other hand, assaults in prisons all over the US have more than doubled in the past decade, according to statistics gathered by the Criminal Justice Institute in Middletown, Connecticut...
Words: 696 - Pages: 3
...her country to speak against capital punishment – the Death Penalty. On these talks, she discusses her experiences of being a spiritual advisor to inmates sentenced to death row, and explains what it really means to accompany men to their death, meeting the family of a man doomed to die by the state as well as the families of the victims. She’s a fervent critic of politicians and the legal system, discussing how and when the court system works and when it doesn’t. She also speaks on and of forgiveness. She also writes about her beliefs, latest is a book “the Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions” that came out in 2004. It is a book that delves into her experience of witnessing two men that she believes were wrongfully executed, revealing evidence that the juries did not see. It is the second book after her famous novel “Dead Man Walking”, that was adapted into a hit film by the same name, telling the story of Sister Prejean as she establishes a special relationship with Matthew Poncelet, an inmate on death row. While each story might be of slightly different dynamics and different characters, the message remains that before you make up your mind about the death penalty, learn all that you can about it. She believes that many of the people who are for the death penalty may have never actually reflected on it. In this paper, I will analyze Sister Prejean’s argument against the death penalty as chronicled in her books and essays, and provide a personal response...
Words: 1193 - Pages: 5
