The Death Penalty

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the issues concerning the death penalty in America today with the bias that it is not an appropriate punishment and it would be better for convicted prisoners to spend the rest of their lives in jail. It quotes current statistics on the numbers of prisoners that have been put to death and discusses how putting people to death as punishment for a crime is nothing more than revenge seeking by the relatives of victims. It looks at how proponents of capital punishment feel it deters crime and is a just and fitting punishment for violent crimes such as murder and asks the question if the death penalty actually is a deterrent to crime, then why do so many criminals still kill people during the course of their crimes?

From the Paper:

"Several of these arguments seem extremely valid, and paint a very valid picture for abolishing the death penalty. Killing another human being, no matter what they have done, seems like to great a punishment. It is inhumane and cruel, and makes us as inhumane by using it as the punishment itself. Most Americans would rather have the guilty parties pay restitution and stay behind bars rather than face the death penalty. Authors Vila and Morris noted when people are questioned about other alternatives; many of them say they would approve of life behind bars without any possibility of parole, especially if the prisoners had to work to pay restitution to the families or the injured party (Vila and Morris 251). There have also been documented cases of prisoners on death row being cleared by new evidence."

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