Pro's and cons of Capital Punishment?

Question

What are your views?

Answer 1

Cons occasionally you get an innocent man or woman.

Pros there are never ever any repeat offenders.

Pros out weigh the cons in my opinion!

Answer 2

Pros:
1) Justice for a grieving family and victim
2) The offender never gets a chance to re-offend
3) Some real turds are flushed from the bowl of society

Cons:
1) It is not 100% perfect
2) The process takes years
3) It doesn't truly affect a criminal's decision to kill or rape in the first place.

I still support it 100% though.

Answer 3

In my opinion, rapists deserve capital punishment, since there is no excuse to hurting someone, even if mentally ill.

Rules are put up to prevent situations like rape, so that incidences like this would not happen. However, since there is still not enough evidence of the psychology behind rapists, it should still be considered that they will do it again when they come out.

So, I'm for capital punishment, so that criminals cannot repeat their crime if they come out after a few years.

Answer 4

Pro's . Their are those in our country that can not live within the rule of law. They prey on us without mercy, Beat, rape and kill without a second thought to their victims or their families. Do such despicable things that many of us can't even imagin that there are people capable of doing such things to others. Much less to children, but sadly every day we find out that there are just such people among us. When found and caught. We have tried them, convicted them and punished them. Should the crime be heinous enough to draw the death penalty. Then one should look no futher than the crime that was commited. They chose to take that path and chose to do the deed that brought them to their end. There is no one to blame, but themselves. These people do not care about mercy. Not untill it is they, who are about to be put to death. Many turn to religion and become born again. It's too bad they could not make that change before they killed someone. Again, a choice they made on their own...... Con's Many will say it is inhumane to put someone to death by any means that we use today. That we should give them better treatment than they gave their victims. Or thats what it seems like. If life in prison meant just that, never again be able to walk among us again, then maybe we would not need capital punishment. But as it stands their are those among us. Who scoff at our laws and our prisons, but there is no laughter on death row. Only time. Time to reflect on just what got them there. Some know and some don't care. Some would do it again if given the chance. Can we afford that. Should we have to, in order to appease those that say it makes us look like barbarians. Or should those very people be forced to see these criminals dirty work first hand. Make them talk to the victims families. See the pictures of the crimes ,that make even the most harden police officer sick. Barbaric would be to give that criminal over to the people and allow mob rule. Barbaric would be to kill them in the very same manner they did their victim. Barbaric would be to allow me the chance to kill the man( that now sits on deathrow in Texas) that kill my father on his 48th birthday. A deputy sheirff that was kill in cold blood. I was the last to see him alive. His killer has been on deathrow for 27 years. Appeal after appeal that he has lost and still he is there. Should he die on deathrow so be it . At least he will never see the light of day as a free man. And just maybe, then my family will get justices.

Answer 5

Cons-Life is to precious to extreminate. There have been cases where after the penalty has been issued and its to late, the person was found to be innocent.

I guess i should list pros

Less crowded prison system, a good feeling to victim's relatives.

Overall I dont believe in capital punishment.

Answer 6

Here are a few facts about the death penalty system in the United States, all verifiable and sourced. The underlying question ought to be whether the death penalty is an effective method of crime prevention and control. (At least one of your answers, from EZMZ, is wrong about most of the facts.)

Re: Deterrence
The death penalty isn’t a deterrent. Murder rates are actually higher in states with the death penalty than in states without it. Moreover, people who kill or commit other serious crimes do not think about the consequences or even that they will be caught (if they think at all.)

Re: cost
The death penalty costs far more than life in prison. The huge extra costs start to mount up even before the trial. There are more cost effective ways to prevent and control crime.

Re: Alternatives
48 states have life without parole on the books. It means what it says, is swift and sure and is rarely appealed. Being locked in a tiny cell for 23 hours a day, forever, is certainly no picnic. Life without parole incapacitates a killer (keeps him from re-offending) and costs considerably less than the death penalty.

Re: Possibility of executing an innocent person
Over 120 people on death rows have been released with evidence of their innocence, many having already served over 2 decades on death row. If we speed up the process we are bound to execute an innocent person. Once someone is executed the case is closed. If we execute an innocent person the real criminal is still out there and will have successfully avoided being charged.

Re: DNA
DNA is available in less than 10% of murder cases. It’s not a miracle cure for sentencing innocent people to death. It’s human nature to make mistakes.

Re: Who gets the death penalty
The death penalty isn’t reserved for the “worst of the worst,” but rather for defendants with the worst lawyers. When is the last time a wealthy person was sentenced to death, let alone executed??

Re: Victims families
The death penalty is very hard on victims’ families. They must relive their ordeal in the courts and the media. Life without parole is sure, swift and rarely appealed. Some victims families who support the death penalty in principal prefer life without parole because of how the death penalty affects families like theirs.

Opposing the death penalty doesn’t mean you condone brutal crimes or excuse people who commit them. According to a Gallup Poll, in 2006, 47% of all Americans prefer capital punishment while 48% prefer life without parole. Americans are learning the facts and making up their minds using common sense, not revenge or an eye for an eye sloganeering.

Answer 7

pro's
1) stops repeat offenses
2) is a strong deterrent to crime
3) we do not have to provide baby-sitters for them for life.
4) cuts down on over-crowding
5) costs less ( keeping a prisoner costs big bucks)
5) victims and their family's can sleep better knowing this person cannot get at them again

Answer 8

Pro's: the world doesn't have to deal with evil people using our facilities and tax dollars

Cons: people on earth are playing God

Answer 9

Less Crime... quicker court cases... Less Lawyers... guess they are all pro's and con's. Just depends on your prospective.