Capital Punishment: An Appropriate Response to Violent Crime Persuasive Essay by Nicky

An argument that the death penalty is an appropriate means for justice in the United States.
# 151212 | 1,014 words | 10 sources | APA | 2012 | US
Published on May 29, 2012 in Criminology (Criminal Justice and Corrections) , Hot Topics (Capital Punishment)


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Description:

The paper addresses the views of opponents of capital punishment who claim this practice is racist in its application, they are concerned that innocent people will lose their lives because of flaws in the legal justice system and they consider the death penalty a cruel and unusual punishment. This paper argues that safeguards such as the jury system, forensic science and the appeals process adequately protect innocent individuals, and capital punishment is not a cruel and unusual punishment; it mirrors the crime it is designed to prevent. The paper further contends that capital punishment works in deterring a horrible act from ever happening again.

From the Paper:

"Opponents of capital punishment believe that murder is not a type of crime that the death penalty can deter because people commit murders largely in the heat of passion and/or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, giving little thought to the possible consequences of their acts (The death penalty). However, data demonstrates that there is a clear relationship between executions and murders, proving that the death penalty is an effective deterrent. In 1960, there were 56 executions and 9,140 murders in the U.S. And, in 1964, when there were only 15 executions, the number of murders had risen to 9,250. By 1969, there were no executions and the number of murders skyrocketed to 14,590. After six more years without executions, 20,510 murders occurred rising to 23,040 in 1980 after only two executions since 1976. In total, between 1965 and 1980, the number of annual murders in the U.S. grew from 9,960 to 23,040, a 131 percent increase as the number of executions shrank (The deterrent effect of capital punishment). Further, without the death penalty, deterrence for repeat offenders of murder is left to a flawed justice system. In 1973, Arthur Shawcross, was convicted of the rape and murder of two children in upstate New York. At that time, New York did not have the death penalty and Shawcross was sentenced to prison. After serving only 15 years, he was paroled and then went on a 21-month killing spree, murdering yet another 11 people (Pataki, 1997)."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • Carmical, C.. The death penalty: Morally defensible?" Retrieved from Web site: http://www.carmical.net/articles/deathpenalty.html
  • Criminal justice in black and white (1998, July/August) ACLU News. Retrieved from Web site: http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:F6lDqela6SwJ:65.109.5.176/news/print_newsletters/asset_upload_file959_4415.pdf+aclu+news+%22criminal+justice+in+black+and+white%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us#28
  • Goetz, P. (2002. April 4).. Death penalty gets a hearing. Irvine World News. Retrieved from Web site: http://216.173.246.226/Astories/apr4/deathp.html
  • Oklahoma City bombing. Retrieved from Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_bombing
  • Pataki, G. E. (1997, March). Death penalty is a deterrent. USA Today. Retrieved from Web site: http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/Articles/Pataki.htm

Cite this Persuasive Essay:

APA Format

Capital Punishment: An Appropriate Response to Violent Crime (2012, May 29) Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/persuasive-essay/capital-punishment-an-appropriate-response-to-violent-crime-151212/

MLA Format

"Capital Punishment: An Appropriate Response to Violent Crime" 29 May 2012. Web. 20 March. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/persuasive-essay/capital-punishment-an-appropriate-response-to-violent-crime-151212/>

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