Should America have Capital Punishment? Nu-Unique Capital punishment has been part of the criminal justice system since the earliest of times and the death penalty has been a topic for debate for many decades the United States remains in the minority of nations in the world that still uses death as penalty for certain crimes. In recent times opponents have held the death penalty to be barbaric, racist, and against American values. Many people have different opinions about how a criminal should be disciplined in the court of law, but there is no right or wrong answer. The question is, if the death penalty should be banned in America or does it really serve justice for
The Swedish population feels that there are those who are dangerous to society and want them locked up securely; however, they also note there is a need "to stick with our philosophy of humanization" (Alvarez, 2005). The escapees, by the way, were soon recaptured but not before the resignation of the Prison Service director; there were also calls for the Justice Minister, Thomas Rodstroem, to resign but he remained in his position (Alvarez, 2005). He did however begin a "comprehensive review of Sweden's prison system," including plans to build a "bunker-style prison for the most violent offenders," though the idea has since been dropped (Alvarez, 2005). The escapes in 2004 were the first made "from Sweden's maximum-security prisons in a decade," and Alvarez suggests that they are due to a "change in the prison population" (Alvarez, 2005). Sweden's prisons, like those in the U.S., are filled to capacity and holding inmates who are "savvier, bolder, more organized and more violent than in the past" (Alvarez, 2005).
In the United States, there are million of women and men being convicted of crimes and sent to prison. The prison system is thought to be a place for rehabilitation, for convicted felons to change their life from being a menace to society to begin a positive contributor. However, for many years prisons have not been able to meet their goal due to unlawful treatment of prisoners and corrupt authoritative figures in the prison system. Many prisoner do not get the protection the law provides. In the Rita Hayworth and Shaw shank Redemption written by Stephen King, the prison system and it’s corruption is presented in support of these accusations.
Lethal Injection For thousands of years, many governments have punished people convicted of certain crimes by putting them to death, using various means to accomplish this. The death penalty is considered by many to be the ultimate form of punishment for those who have committed society's most heinous crimes, including rape and murder. As times have changed, so have the methods of execution. The idea of someone being put to death is not a pleasant one. About 74 of the world's countries and 38 American states have a death penalty (although the vast majority of executions in 2004 took place in China, Iran, Vietnam and the United States), so this unpleasant topic is bound to come up.
Violent Crimes and Theories Violent crimes are a major concern for United States citizens. Although there has been a decrease in violent crime, it is still a huge problem nationwide that needs to be under more control. What causes a person to become criminal is a question that many theorists would love to fully understand. In the past, criminologists believed that people were simply born criminals. Today, there are several theories on why people commit crimes.
The demographic group most affected by the war on drugs and the incarceration boom are the juveniles. Youth who turn to drugs and alcohol abuse are faced with harsh reality at YSI Facilities, another branch of the private prison industry. Rather than being charged with fines appropriate to their offenses and being sent to rehabilitation or other forms of drug treatment, non-violent offenders are locked away with long, harsh sentences. This profit-driven war on drugs and other substance abuse ruins the lives of the inmates, turning them into harder criminals by exposing them to such environments. According to a project run by The Huffington Post, 40% of juvenile offenders sent to private prisons on account of drug related crimes are arrested and convicted of harsher crimes in less than a year from their release (Kirkham).
Shalom wonders what this is saying about our current system that is in force (10). The author reveals that murderers that are unable to pay for their defense are more likely to be sentenced to death then those who are capable of getting a lawyer. Former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall says that “the burden of capital punishment falls upon the poor, the ignorant, and the underprivileged members of society” (11). Shalom concludes that the United States is not the only country that is continuing to practice capital punishment. The other countries are considered to be far from world leaders in human rights.
The physical and psychological impact of prison is far more likely to have a serious and negative impact than a similar sentence would have on an adult prisoner. Juveniles should never be in prison with adults because not only they are more likely to be corrupted by the prison environment, but there is also the persistent danger of abuse including sexual abuse and health risks. ‘The greatest danger is physical and sexual assault by adults housed in the same facility, including inmate trustees who may have access to juveniles in ‘separate’ quarters in jail.’ (Clement 395). Juvenile delinquents need help and a direction in life should be given to them. Placing them in adult prison subjects them to violence and exploitation, and deprives them of the chance to start their new lives.
Criminal Justice Trends Paper To aid in the future progress of corrections are being developed as a result of past and current trends. The issues and concerns surrounding the corrections component of the criminal justice system are overcrowded prisons and their decreasing budget. If these issues and concerns are not address, they will definitely disrupt the effectiveness and future operations of corrections. Restorative and community justice programs are options being considered for the future of corrections as administrators, legislators, and activists debate philosophies to address these issues and concerns resulting from past and current trends. In the past, the national political climate favored the get tougher approach against crime
Many believe that criminals should be treated cruel, but are they not being punished enough by being in prison? They no longer get to have privacy, their families, or careers and education. How far do you go before you feel that it is unacceptable? Should the prisoners not be treated as human beings? According to the eighth amendment they should.