The Death Penalty

Paper Summary:

This paper introduces the topic of the death penalty in the United States. It looks at how the death penalty, also known as capital punishment, has always been a controversial and emotional issue and how in the United States, controversy over capital punishment began as early as Colonial times after American gained her independence from Great Britain. Specifically, it debates whether the death penalty is an appropriate punishment, rather than allowing convicted prisoners to spend the rest of their life in jail and comes to a conclusion regarding its validity.

From the Paper:

"Proponents of capital punishment feel it deters crime and is a just and fitting punishment for violent crimes such as murder. Opponents of the system object for a variety of reasons including it is cruel, the time it takes for appeal after appeal to get through the court systems while the inmate waits on death row, and it is a violation of human rights, and it does not deter crime. Many believe that most people facing the death penalty are poor and underprivileged, and they probably did not have access to the best lawyers, which did not allow them the most fair and accurate trials. Many opponents also feel the death penalty is more expensive than keeping a criminal behind bars for life, because of the increased court costs due to repeated appeals and reappeals (Haines 171)."

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