(homework) should we bring back capital punishment?

Question

give your reasons

I need at least 10 people's opinions!

by the way I live in the UK and we don't have capital punishment over here!

Answer 1

Absolutely not. We have capital punishment in the United States. It does not do anything to deter crime. That is someone who is going to kill someone doesn't decide not to because of the threat of capital punishment. Granted, the person being executed won't commit any more crimes, but if he is in jail for life that won't be a problem anyways. People often mistakenly assume it is cheaper to execute than leave someone in prison. This is not the case. It costs up to $90,000 more a year to house a death row inmate because of all the legal appeals we must go through. It is also an unfair practice as it is biased against people who are minorities and the poor. But the most compelling arguement I know of is the fact that we just had several death row inmates freed in the United States because DNA tests that were unavailable at the time of their trials proved their innocence.
Hope this helps,
Channa
P.S. I never understood in the U.S. how so many people that call abortion murder and cited the commandment thou shall not kill were pro death penalty. And for anyone who might say maybe if you knew someone who was murdered, you would change your mind- I have and I didn't.

Answer 2

Capital punishment is not an effective way to prevent or reduce crime and it risks killing innocent people.

I hope that you are looking for facts. Here are answers to some questions people often ask about the practical issues surrounding this issue, with sources listed below.

What about the risk of executing innocent people?
124 people on death rows have been released with evidence of their innocence.

Doesn't DNA keep new cases like these from happening?
DNA is available in less than 10% of all homicides. It is not a guarantee against the execution of innocent people.

Doesn't the death penalty prevent others from committing murder?
No reputable study shows the death penalty to be a deterrent. To be a deterrent a punishment must be sure and swift. The death penalty is neither. Homicide rates are higher in states that have it than in states that do not.

So, what are the alternatives?
Life without parole is now on the books in 48 states. It means what it says. It is sure and swift and rarely appealed. Life without parole is less expensive than the death penalty.

But isn't the death penalty cheaper than keeping criminals in prison?
The death penalty costs much more than life in prison, largely because of the legal process. Extra costs include those due to the 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 and subsequent appeals. There are more cost effective ways to prevent and control crime.

What about the very worst crimes?
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??

Doesn't the death penalty help families of murder victims?
Not necessarily. Murder victim family members across the country argue that the drawn-out death penalty process is painful for them and that life without parole is an appropriate alternative.

So, why don't we speed up the process?
Over 50 of the innocent people released from death row had already served over a decade. If the process is speeded up we are sure to execute an innocent person.

But don’t Americans prefer the death penalty as the most serious punishment?
Not any more. People are rethinking their views, given the facts and the records on innocent people sentenced to death. According to a Gallup Poll, in 2006, 47% of all Americans prefer capital punishment while 48% prefer life without parole.

Answer 3

We don't need to bring it back. WE have it & it is necessary, but it is not effective because it's not swift and it's not brutal anymore. We need to bring back public hanging and firing squads. That would deter folks. Everyone who is against capital punishment needs to work in a us prison for at least 1yr. Trust me you will change you mind.

Answer 4

I am so tempted to say yes, given the crowded conditions in our reform systems. However, I am going to say no for two reasons: 1. Killing someone is the easy way out. If you really think about it, killing a "criminal" does not really solve anything because, then, the criminal was even let off easily - he won't have time to think of what he's done, or at the very least, he did not even "suffer properly" (crowded jails can be hell) because he was physically removed from the jail system. 2. It should not be brought back because we should always aim for reform, in the true form - crimes were done for a (twisted) reason, criminals should be "educated" (through school or religion) and taught right from wrong

Answer 5

The question is meaningless, since we already have the penalty of capital punishment.