Death Penalty

The death penalty is a very controversial topic. Also known as capital punishment which is when someone that has legally been convicted of capital crime. Which is when someone is convicted of a dangerous crime and is punished with execution. Some states have removed the death penalty, while in others it has been in high use for many different defendants. Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia are a few states where it is legal. Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine and Maryland are some of the locations which it is not. A total of 1491 convicts have been executed in the United States since 1976. Since the lethal method had been created in 1982, forty-six people would be put to execution yearly. Half of the individuals that were executed were Caucasian. And one third of the people were black.  While a large percentage of the gender of people that were being executed were males.  On a website that I was reading it stated that “Texas leads the nation in executions, having put 574 inmates to death since 1976” (Death Penalty States 2023). On average Texas executes 12 inmates annually. The reason as to why is because the state does not have a good public defender system for convicts to use. A few other states that have had a great number of executions are Oklahoma with 116, Virginia with 113.As well as Florida with 99, and Missouri with 92. For some people when they hear the word death penalty their eyes bulge. Compared to others that are happy when they hear about it because they feel that it is a good way for defendants to get karma for what they did.

Throughout history there has been a great number of individuals that had been given the death penalty. In fact, to several individuals that didn't commit any crime at all. The death penalty has occurred more in the south, rather than in the north where there are fewer death penalty cases. African Americans have a greater chance of being given the death penalty than an Caucasian. If African Americans have very well-educated private investigators, Psychiatrist's, or lawyers they have a greater chance of not being given it. I was able to gather information from several articles, and websites to outline both views about why the death penalty should stay in place. And in contrast the reason the death penalty should be removed.

"Larry Flynt" 

One of the reasons people support it is because they feel that it is a good revenge for the defendant's poor actions. In an article titled "Crime and Punishment" It states that "By codifying rules of conduct, the state claimed the right and the responsibility of vengeance from the victim's relatives' ' (Bowman and Dilascio 2). It also talked about how a criminal being given the death penalty is a good way for the innocent souls that were murdered, for their killers to get revenge. It stated an historical quote which was that "In the Code of Hammurabi are the first proscriptions against murder, and the first occurrence of the phrase "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, which specified that if a free man murdered another free man, he too would die” (Bowman and Dilascio).

Another Advantage of The Death Penalty existing is that it prevents prisoners from getting into a very horrible debt. According to the website Connect Us Fund.Org/  the article"16 Advantages and Disadvantages of the Death Penalty and Capital Punishment", it states how more than 2 million people in the United States are incarcerated. By the death penalty being in place it lessens the amount of financial bills that would add up over time for inmates that are locked up for long periods of time. For very dangerous, hostile crimes which they committed. By their days being cut short they don't have to worry about having to pay the government a substantial amount of money.

Additionally the article also discussed how it prevents criminals from being able to make the same malicious choice again. By undergoing the procedure, they have no chance or opportunity to do someone harm ever again. By ending an ill minded person's life, it provides individuals with more safety due to the fact that the murderer can't try to harm anyone else. In spite of the fact that they are being put to rest during the process. Their days, actions, movements come to a complete end. Their eyes close, they take their one last breath. Then they perish and their soul leaves their body. 

It furtherly expresses how the death penalty is a painless procedure. Compared to the many other ways that the death penalty has been done before. Which were more excruciating and uncomfortable to experience. It stated how back in time before the death penalty procedures were done by hanging, they used firing squads which was very painful. As I was reading it stated that "The process of putting someone to sleep before they stop breathing eliminates the pain and negative outcomes associated with other execution methods"(16 Advantages And Disadvantages). The killers don't experience any affliction, while death slowly approaches them. They began to feel nauseous as their eyes get heavy and shut.

One of the reasons as to why some people do not support the death penalty is because they feel it hasn't led to a decrease in homicides. According to the article "Capital Punishment Should Be Abolished" it states that the "FBI Uniform Crime Report data show no statistical difference in crime rates based on the existence or frequency of use of the death penalty in a particular state" (Ballaro and Cushman 1). It furthermore states that it "Fails to deter criminals" (Ballaro And Cushman 1). Which is expressing how criminals still have the same desire to kill. And how the death penalty being in place hasn't made them want to be less violent when it comes to wanting to harm people. Killers still desire to hurt, injure, and kill other human beings with the death penalty existing. It doesn’t lessen their drive to assassinate. Furthermore, I was able to find more evidence from Human Rights Careers.com about how the death penalty existing doesn't make killers less desirous to harm. It states that the "Death penalty information center has information showing that states without the death penalty have a consistently lower murder rate than states with the death penalty" (Human Right Careers). As I read more into the article, I noticed that it talked about how states that don't have the death penalty that their murder rates were lower compared to states that did have them which were higher. Convicts are not feared by the death penalty existing, by more killings happening in locations which it exists shows how it does not cause them to think before they make poor decisions. They have no hesitation before they make an unfortunate choice.

Another reason why they don't support it is because they feel that it costs too much money. In the article "Capital Punishment Should Be Abolished" the article reads that "By the early twenty-first century, evidence consistently showed that the death penalty process in the United States consumes tremendous amounts of money" (Ballaro And Cushman 1 ). This quote suggests how some people feel that the cost for criminals to be lethally injected is too high. Additionally, they feel that the government is getting an immense amount of revenue from the number of criminals that have undergone the death penalty. The money that is used for a death penalty could be used for other important things like state or school property items rather than to be used for a criminal that is mentally challenged.

On the website called "Human Rights Careers. Com" It also expresses that the death penalty isn't fair to the lower class. Due to the fact that they are not able to afford a good lawyer to fight for themselves. Additionally, because they are not able to get the legal aid that they need in time to ensure that they will get a fair trial. Which all death penalty defendants are in severe need of so that they can have a better chance of being found innocent. Lower class convicts not having enough money to better support themselves in their case, puts them more at risk of being likely to be given the death penalty.

A great number of defendants have been incorrectly convicted when they have been given the death penalty. According to the website "Human Rights Careers". In 2000, Professor James Liebman did a study on capital conviction and appeal between 1973-1995. His results were that "More than 90% of the states that give death sentences had overall error rates of 52% or higher. While "85% of the states had error rates of 60% or higher" (Human Rights Careers). The evidence written above supports the percentage of people that have been wrongly convicted with the death penalty. A large percentage of innocent convicts have been charged, while they have not committed any crime at all. The criminal justice system is handling the cases incorrectly.

Image Credits

"Larry Flynt" by Peter K. Levy is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.