Pro’s and Con’s of the Death Sentence

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Pro’s and Con’s of the Death Sentence

Over the years, there has been raging debates in the country about the necessity of the death penalty. People have been sharply divided about the issue. Those who are against the death penalty argue that the society or state has no right to take human life. On the other hand, those who support it cite the fact that the offenders rightly deserve it because of the crimes they have committed. In most cases, especially in America, the death penalty has been imposed on those who have committed homicide and other related cases. In some cases however, especially in other countries, the death penalty has been imposed on people who have committed other crimes. The death penalty has some benefits that come with it and it has some effect on the society.

The death penalty rids the society off criminals who would commit the same crime once they are released. Most of the criminals who receive the death penalty usually commit violent and inhumane crimes such as murder, torture and rape. Once the criminals are released, they will tend to commit the same crimes. The death penalty therefore ensures that the society and the prisons are safe from such criminals. Some of the crimes committed are very violent such that those who commit them can only be punished by the death penalty. This is especially the case when the victims are helpless and vulnerable or when they undergo torture.

The justice system in the country seems to favor the criminals more than the victims (Messerli, 2011). Some of the victims’ families feel that the ones who committed the offence should receive justice in the same measure. This is especially the case with the families whose loved ones have been murdered. The death penalty acts as a way of consoling the families. In addition, it acts as a deterrent or as a way of reducing crime. It instills fear in those who had planned to commit murder and other related offences. The death penalty is a way of decongesting prisons and other correctional facilities. The most common alternative to the death penalty is life in prison. Some people argue that keeping a person in the prison for life is expensive, since the government will be responsible for the person’s upkeep. They therefore recommend the death penalty, which is less expensive option (Aiken, 2002).

Some people do not support the death penalty based on religious beliefs. They argue that no one has the right to take another person’s life. The state cannot right a wrong by committing another wrong. Some people equate the death penalty to murder. Some people note the fact that the death penalty is more expensive than sentencing a person to life. They claim that criminals can stay a long time before they are executed. During this time, the offenders go to the courts to appeal their cases and this is costly to the government. Some people are of the opinion that the death penalty does not deter crime. They claim that the states with established death sentences continue to record high incidences of crime, which result to the death penalty. In the past, the state has wrongly convicted and executed people who were thought to commit certain crimes (Gottfried, 2002).

The debate concerning the death penalty continues to elicit mixed results from different individuals. Modern technology and scientific methods of solving crimes have ensured that there are fewer chances of wrong convictions taking place. People can use methods such as DNA testing to ensure that the wrong person is not convicted. The different methods of executions have become more humane. The argument that the death penalty is barbaric is therefore not true. Modern methods of execution ensure that the person does not experience any pain (Banner, 2003). On the other hand, some people undergo a lot of torture in the hands of the criminals. They are mistreated in cruel ways and the death penalty is seen as the only appropriate method of punishment.

In addition, prison is meant for rehabilitating people who are sentenced for some time in prison, probably several years or those who will eventually be released. People who are imprisoned for life do not need rehabilitation since they are aware they will never get out of prison. Hence, they are likely to commit more crimes even in prison, posing danger for other prisoners since there can be no more punishment or loss for them considering you cannot add them more years in jail. Therefore, keeping such people in prison makes no sense since they cannot be rehabilitated and more still, they are expected to die in prison so there is no need of having to keep them (Phil, 2011).

Considering that prison is supposed to be a form of punishment, it should be equal to the crime they committed or more to teach them a lesson never to commit such a crime again. Prison is also meant to be the advocate of the victim or act as the means for the victim to get even. For a murder case, the only way to do this is through capital punishment, which is equal to the crime they committed. Those against capital punishment argue that no body is justified to take life. They should also consider that the criminals who commit such crimes are neither justified to do what they did. Hence, repaying them with what they did is fair justice for the victims, especially considering the anguish they go through. Considering the violence they commit, even killing them in a less painful death is not even fair yet to the victims who were tortured or killed under most gruesome ways (Phil, 2011).

In conclusion, despite new measures and technology to deter crime, it is still rising in the community. Yet, when criminals are taken to court the justice systems shows sympathy for them than they do for the victim, leaving the defendants with an assurance of support from the justice systems. This in a way does encourage criminals especially knowing they stand a chance to be defended in court. Death sentence should serve several things such as, equal punishment for equal crime, keep safety in the community as well as in prisons, and reduce costs and congestions in the prisons.

References

Aiken, R. L. (2002). Attitudes and related psychosocial constructs: Theories, assessment, and research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE

Banner, S. (2003). The death penalty: An American history. Cambridge, MA: HarvardUniversity Press

Donohue, J. J., & Wolfers, J. (2006). The death penalty: No evidence for deterrence. The Economists’ Voice 3 (5)

Gottfried, T. (2002). The death penalty: justice or legalized murder? Brookfield, CT: Twenty-First Century Books

Messerli, J. (2011). Should the death penalty be banned as a form of punishment? Retrieved from http://www.balancedpolitics.org/death_penalty.htm

Phil, B. (2011). The Pros and Cons of Capital Punishment. Retrieved from http://www.philforhumanity.com/Capital_Punishment.html

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