FREE ESSAY ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

Capital Punishment is a difficult issue to address and has been the subject of highly
controversial debate for the past three decades. In 1972, the United States Supreme Court
decided in the Furman v. Georgia that the death penalty was a form of cruel and unusual
punishment per the 8th Amendment of the Constitution. But in 1975, the court reversed
their decision and executions resumed under the state's supervision. Texas did not have
another execution until 1982. As of July, Texas had 457 inmates on Death Row. We have 5
executions scheduled before December 15 and another 5 scheduled for January 2000. The
Death Penalty is considered the harshest from of punishment enforced today. The most
common form used to execute this task is Lethal Injection; although hanging,
electrocution, gas chamber and the firing squad are also approved methods. The big
controversy of the death penalty is does it work and is it morally right. People who
favor it say that it is the only way for justice to be carried out and they think the
criminal deserves it. People who are against it say that it is immoral and had no place
in a civilized society. Capital Punishment is justified by several means.
Many supporters of the death penalty believe that capital punishment deters crime. I
believe that is a false assumption. How can you tell if deterrence has occurred? You can
not. Unless the "prospective" offender reports that the fear of punishment stop them from
committing the crime, you will never know if it works. Recidivism occurs by one who makes
sure they do not get caught. They plan and concoct stories to make others believe that
they are not capable of criminal activity, especially murder. Usually the person who does
get caught is someone who did not plan to commit murder in the first place. Deterrence
can only work when the threat of punishment is combined with the act being believed as
morally wrong. Without the conviction of morality, the easily frightened will not break
the law but the irrational and fearless will. Apparently though, certain sections of
society have become desensitized to the point that human life has no value whatsoever.
Nothing will hold deterrent value. These people do not think about the consequences of
their actions. But this lack of morals and foresight cannot be used as an excuse for the
toleration of such violent crimes. If we used the death penalty as the law intended, it
could actually reduce the number of violent murders by eliminating so of the repeat
offenders thus being used a method of justice and not just a method of deterrence.
Many people are against the death penalty because they think innocent people will be
wrongfully executed in the name of justice. There are many provisions taken to make sure
this does not happen. These provisions also ensure that the death penalty is racially
bias so there is no discriminations. The death penalty also has an automatic appeals
process that safeguards the system. This process shortens the time spent on death row,
which is on average nine years and six months. This seemingly shortened sentence could
allow for an innocent person to be executed but statistics show that only two, 1918 and
1949, people have been proved innocent after execution in the entire history of the
United States.
Capital Punishment is a method of retributive punishment as old as time itself. Both the
Greeks and the Romans invoked the death penalty for a variety of offenses. Socrates and
Jesus were among the most famous people ever condemned. Hammurabi's Code, developed long
before the emergence of Christ claims retribution, "an eye for an eye, life for a life"
is justice. Retribution makes Capital Punishment justifiable because it is an injustice
to tolerate criminal behavior such as murder.
Think for a moment that the death penalty did not exist. Then the only reasonable
alternative would be a life sentence. This would be costly to taxpayers like you and I.
Costly due to housing, feeding, and numerous appeals that the inmate would file. If there
is no threat of death to someone who commit murder, then that person is guaranteed to be
provided with a decent living environment until the next parole hearing. This shows that
they would not get the deserved type of punishment. How would the victim's family feel
about this? The ACLU was once quoted saying that what families need is financial and
emotional support to help them recover from their loss and resume their lives. The
concept of money replacing your loved one is a ridiculous idea. What the victim's family
wants is justice, plain and simple. They want justice to be served, for the offender to
be put to death, not any sort of financial retribution. Justice is all anyone wants or
deserves.
If it is cleat that a person is guilty of murder then that person should be sentenced to
death. Placing murderers in prison is not a tough enough sentence. If sentenced to life
in Texas, then they would have a chance of parole. If they happen to make it back into
the community, who is to say s/he would not kill again. One out of eleven prisoners
sentenced to death have a prior homicide conviction. This means that more innocent people
had to die before the murderer was sentenced to death. If they had been sentenced to die
the first time, the additional victims would be alive. Justice would have been served.
The punishment would fit the crime; the victim's family and society would be helped
knowing one less murderer is out on the streets. 
More timely enforcement of the death penalty would help reduce crime by instilling a
sense of respect for the law. In that sentences are more than just written words on a
page. Crimes carry consequences, which should be understood. 
Murder is a crime that involves the loss of life of an innocent human and that act needs
to be justly punished. Not with an "overextended welcome" in a prison but in an effective
manner that lets society know that justice is being duly served.
If we were to take capital punishment away, we would not have an effective justice system
and crimes against innocent people will continue. And that is why it is needed in
America.