Proponents of the death penalty present a number of reasons for deserved capital punishment. Agencies whose purpose is to deter crime believe that punishing wrongdoers may reduce crimes and save lives. Society has the right to keep murderers from ever killing again and criminals should be held fully responsible for the crimes they commit. Supporters of the death penalty believe that science can be used effectively to free the innocent as well as to identify the guilty. They believe that the justice system receives scrutiny to protect a person charged from injustice. Those that oppose the death penalty also have compelling arguments.
The death penalty should be abolished because mistakes can and have been made and sometimes a person is put to death who is innocent. The courts and legal branches of our government try to carry out their jobs with accuracy, fai…
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“Death Penalty Information and Resources.” 1987. Death Penalty Information. American Society of Criminology. 21
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Millett, Frederick C. “End the Death Penalty.” 08 2002. Part I: Moral Reasons to Oppose the Death Penalty. 16 Nov.
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O’Conner, Tom. “Death Penalty Arguments
Capital Punishment Essay: Death Penalty is Good for the Economy
The Death Penalty is Good for the Economy
Crimes are committed everyday. Many people are caught, while many are not. In the United States of America, when a person kills another person s/he is considered a murderer. The instant that murder takes place all rights should automatically be revoked. Murderers should not be allowed to walk the streets. Once a person has killed there is a good change that it could happen again. Convicted murderers should be given the death penalty and have it carried out at once. The death penalty is a controversial sentence. Not everyone feels the same way, but I believe that, in America, the death penalty for murderers is beneficial to the economy and it’s a punishment that fits the crime.
Anti-death penalty supporters argue the death penalty is unconstitutional — “Capital punishment is a barbaric remnant of an uncivilized society. It is immoral in principle, and unfair and discriminatory in practice. It assures the execution of some innocent people. As a remedy for crime, it has no purpose and no effect (American Civil Liberties Union National Office 2-16-95).”
In 1972, the Supreme Court in Furman v. Georgia ruled that the death penalty for murder was unconstitutional. They also argue that the death penalty costs too much to carry out (Academic American Encyclopedia “Capital Punishment”).
Yet, in 1976, the Supreme Court in Gregg V. Georgia declared the death penalty for murder is constitutional (AAE “Capital Punishment”). The death penalty is also fair and serves it justice — surveyed police chiefs and sheriffs choose the death penalty as a primary method to combat violent crime (Montgomery 2-25-95). It cost less in the long run as well.
How does the economy benefit from…
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…ts, and the punishment fits the crime. Thus the death penalty is beneficial in that it saves money and lets us feel secure.
Work Cited
Academic American Encyclopedia. “Capital Punishment.” Danbury: Grolier Electronic Publishing, 1995.
Academic American Encyclopedia. “Prison.” Danbury: Grolier Electronic Publishing, 1995.
American Civil Liberties Union National Office. “New York Civil Liberties Union says No to death penalty.” February 16, 1995.
Bureau of Justice Statistics. “Capital Punishment 1992.” December 1992.
Bureau of Justice Statistics. “Prisoners in 1992.” May 1993.
Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch. “Safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty.” May 25, 1984.
Montgomery, Lori. “Death penalty ineffective, police say.” Austin American-Statesman, February 25, 1995: A20.