Pro-Capital Punishment Arguements?

Question

What are some good arguements in support of the death penalty. Have in-depth reasons with a few examples.

Answer 1

The best argument I have heard is that some criminals cannot be rehabilitated. If they are ever released, they will kill or rape again.

Answer 2

This is a tough question. The facts (sourced) are not on the side you have chosen. The answer above mine doesn't mention the fact that rates of violent crime are higher in states with the death penalty than in those without it.

If this is for a paper or for a debate, a good resource is at http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?did=1917 which is specifically for students. You will find links to both sides of the issue. In the meantime, here is some of what you are up against:

124 people on death rows have been released with proof that they were wrongfully convicted. DNA is available in less than 10% of all homicides and isn’t a guarantee we won’t execute innocent people. List of exonerees at at www.deathpenaltyinfo.org. For DNA info visit www.innocenceproject.org)

The death penalty doesn't 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 and regions that have it than in states that don’t. FBI crime stats from the Dept of Justice (2nd source)

We have a good alternative. 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. www.deathpenaltyinfo.org for the list of the states with life without parole

The death penalty costs much more than life in prison, mostly because of the legal process which is supposed to prevent executions of innocent people. www.deathpenaltyinfo.org and www.deathpenaltyfocus.org (click on facts and then on costs to find out why the death penalty is so expensive)

The death penalty isn't reserved for the worst crimes, but for defendants with the worst lawyers. It doesn't apply to people with money. When is the last time a wealthy person was on death row, let alone executed? (see representation at www.deathpenaltyinfo.org)

The death penalty doesn't necessarily help families of murder victims. 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.
(see www.deathpenaltyinfo.org - click on victims -look at recent developments which includes statements by victims)

Problems with speeding 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. (See list of exonerees with how long they were on death row)

Answer 3

People say that the existence of the death penalty doesn't deter crime, but the statistics say otherwise. Sadly, simply the possibility of receiving the death penalty for a capital crime keeps these crimes in check to a certain degree. A couple of high profile executions per year actually saves many thousands of lives. I did an in depth comparison of murder rates and execution rates. While clearly other societal factors may have been involved, there is a definite inverse correlation.

Answer 4

It obviously deters crime.
Violent crime is virtually nonexistent since we re instituted the death penalty.

Oh wait. Totally wrong on my part. Our prisons are actually full beyond capacity. My bad.

Why do countries without a death penalty still have lower violent crime rates?