The Death Penalty?

Question

Hey
Im doin my research paper on the death penalty. My thesis statement is: The death penalty should be banned beause it violates human rights, it sometimes cause innocent people to be killed, and it sends the wrong message. Where can I find info to support these statements,I know there're true but I need somewhere to get info.

Answer 1

The best website for this is the Death Penalty Information Center. Here are some facts about the practical issues surrounding the death penalty. This is a long answer, but the topic is very serious. I have included the sources for what I have written, below.

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.

Re: DNA
DNA is available in less than 10% of murder cases. It’s not a guarantee that we won't execute an innocent person. It’s human nature to make mistakes.

Re: Appeals
Our appeals system is designed to make sure the trial was in accord with constitutional standards, not to second guess whether the defendant was actually innocent. It is very difficult to get evidence of innocence introduced before an appeals court.

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. 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 and appeals. Much of these result from the unusually complicated nature of both the pre trial investigation and of the trials (involving 2 separate stages, mandated by the Supreme Court) in death penalty cases. 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, 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: 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.

Answer 2

I agree.I think the Death Penalty is inhumane for the times.People also seem to forget that an estimated
1 out of 9 people on Death Row are innocent.I believe the only person that has a right to take your life is God.

Answer 3

go to the library and ask the librarian. I did a paper on the death penalty as well and there are books that will support your idea.

Answer 4

You can't because your theory is faulty. There has been NO confirmed "innocent" execution since the Supreme Court re-established the death penalty!

Answer 5

try the ACLU website, they agree with you 100%, of course, they were dropped on their heads a lot as children

Answer 6

If you "know" that they are true, then why do you need support? So therefore you must have some doubt... and rightly so.