With a national population of over 304 million people, that is around 16,000 murders for 2008 alone. Admittedly, not all of these murders occurred in states where the death penalty is in use, however, of the ten states with the highest murder rates, eight of them are death penalty states (FBI, 2008). It is true that violent crime trends have decreased over the past five years, however, it is important to remember that the violent crimes being committed the most are in areas where the criminal is risking death at the hands of the state. This alone shows that criminals have no regard for a state’s policy on the death sentence, which proves that the penalty has lost its effectiveness as a deterrent. The death penalty has been the most severe punishment for crimes since the 18th century BCE, when King Hammurabi of Babylon held 25 crimes by which a criminal could be put to death.
One of the functions of the criminal justice system is to administer a fair and just punishment for the crime committed by the suspect .Most Americans seem to agree with or oppose capital punishment on a case by case basis. Some Americans believe the death penalty brings justice, when someone is murdered. Capital punishment is a controversial issue in the society. Pros--Some people favor the death penalty because it is believed to deter crime. Criminals might think twice before they commit a crime if they knew they were going to get the death penalty.
Arguments go back and forth whether capital punishment is “cruel and unusual punishment” because of the torture people on death row go through. Also, people commit murders because of witnesses that see them commit certain crimes. He or she has evidence of the crime an individual has committed and can testify it to the police. Murders happen because people get scared what a certain person might do and the victims are the ones who get hurt. The article presents a good argument for why the death penalty works because it explains the different type of murders that happen to people and the cause of it and why murder rates have gone down.
Capital Punishment: Deterrent or Detriment? The article simply titled “The Death Penalty” by David Chandler makes a clear argument against capital punishment. Chandler states that over the past 30 years, in excess of 100 people have been liberated from death row due to having been wrongly convicted. (para 1) He claims that while the number of blacks and whites on death row is about equal, the numbers are disproportionate to the population and blacks are nearly 40% more likely to be sentenced to death. (para 2) Chandler also claims that the race of the victim plays an even larger role than the race of the offender and 80% of the death sentences handed down had white victims.
A defendant may be found guilty in one case but not guilty in another. A defendant found guilty in a criminal case may face jail time or the death penalty, but when you file a wrongful death claim, all you can ask for is financial compensation. What Are The Grounds For A Wrongful Death Lawsuit? Generally, the grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit fall under negligence, reckless acts or intentional acts. Negligence can include things like driving under the influence, medical malpractice and not fixing safety issues in a building.
Mia Michael H.English Mrs. Gaskill April 23, 2013 An argument that never seems to have a clear winner is “Life in Prison” vs. “The Death Penalty”. Although both sides have valid points, I feel that only one should be allowed. The death penalty is inhumane and unethical. It seems hypocritical for us, the American people, and are judicial system to say that murder is wrong and illegal, but continue to murder both the guilty and thee wrongfully accused. The death penalty gives those that are actually guilty the easy way out of punishment, and the innocent a wrongful death.
In this paper, I will discuss the effect that capital punishment has on deterring criminal activity. Capital punishment is the execution of criminals by the state, for committing crimes, regarded so terrible, that this type of punishment is the only acceptable punishment for the crime committers. For decades now, there has been an ongoing debate over the death penalty in America. The chief argument in favor of death sentences is the fact that it can be used as a deterrent. Deterrence is the idea that executing the murderers will decrease the rates of homicide by discouraging future murderers.
More stress, chaos, and contact among inmates and staff. I believe this is a bad bill because of the increase in expenses. It is about $25,000 dollars to house one inmate per year. Just think about how much it will cost Government officials to house beyond over populated prisons. For example, if the maximum prison term for armed robbery is 15 years and that conviction is doubled, the city has to pay for an extra 15 years of housing to inmates.
This is due to the legal issues that arise and the court costs. “A 1988 Kansas Legislative Research Department study found that trying a capital case cost the state over $116,000 more than holding a non-capital trial. In the 1980’s, the state of Florida spent six times more per person to execute a criminal than to maintain him or her in prison for life without parole” (Kronenwetter
The annual cost of incarcerating one inmate is over $22,000 and rising. The prison budget is $8.2 billion, and an additional $2 billion to $4 billion is needed to "build out" the overcrowding problem. This is more money than the state spends on higher education. With prisons exceeding their limit, this is way over their budget and causes states to fall into debt. Prisons aren't the only ones affected financially.