Kaden Kennard

Professor Chris Bertram

Criminal Justice 1010

9 July 2017

The Death Penalty

The issue on whether the capital punishment should or should not be allowed in the United

States justice system has been put to much debate and questioning. Some states have elected to turn away

from the death penalty and instead sentence criminals to a life in prison, with or without parole. However,

for states that continue to practice the death penalty, lethal injections serve as the primary source of

execution. While some feel that the capital punishment is the perfect solution to deter future crimes,

others feel as though it does nothing but take another life away. Despite the fact that the death penalty

does not violate the constitution in posing as a cruel and unusual punishment, it does offer a source of

revenge for families of victims, risks the possibility of killing innocent people, and has no real direct

relationship in decreasing criminal activity. Therefore, the death penalty should not be used in the United

States due to its poor morals and inefficiency.

To begin with, the death penalty allows families who suffered the loss of a loved to get revenge

on the individuals who inflicted this pain upon them. This occurs because of the unstable emotional state

which people experience after having lost a close family member. Such emotions and feelings will only

result in another loss of a life, and nothing more. In fact, at the end of the day, violence will continue to

have an influence in a community as it is accepted as a use of punishment. The pro argument is that

killing people is wrong, therefore you should kill people for doing it, which just doesnt make sense

(Goodman). Therefore, ethics come into play while discussing the death penalty. What are the primary

principles of killing another human being? If they are based on hatred and revenge, then they lack
sufficient morals. The concept an eye for an eye is out of date and thus should be discarded from

Americas justice system.

Likewise, the criminal justice system has been known to make errors while convicting

defendants. Through the use of advanced technology, including DNA fingerprinting, criminal

investigations have improved overtime. Thus, there have been instances where an individual convicted of

a criminal act has been found innocent. Knowing that there is a possibility of sentencing a faultless

individual to death issues a big risk. In the case of people who are wrongly imprisoned, they can be

released from prison and given compensation, but a wrongful execution can never be righted

(Goodman). It is bad enough that some have to spend time in jail though they have done nothing wrong,

but the loss of an innocent life is outright unacceptable. Because humans are not perfect and flawed in

many different ways, it is inevitable that the occasional mistake may occur, even in a court of law.

Therefore, the death penalty should be discontinued due to the risk of punishing the wrong individual.

However, though there are many faults associated with the capital punishment, it does not

infringe the constitution. In the Eighth Amendment, it prohibits the use of any cruel and unusual

punishment by the government. Many people feel that the killing of another person violates the Eighth

Amendment and thus resulting to be unconstitutional. The Supreme Court was firm on its stand that any

method of execution definitely will inflict some pain and states with capital punishment have already

adopted more humane methods to carry out executions (Green Garage). When the term death penalty

is heard, ones mind almost automatically relates it to the electric chair or even firing squad. These

methods of execution are considered to be inhumane in today's world. However, drugs have been resorted

to when dealing with the death penalty today. The use of lethal injections are seen to be more humane

than the use of the electric chair in executions. Nevertheless, the death penalty continues to pose multiple

problems in states that continue to use it.

 Lastly, the death penalty does not have a major impact on society as criminal rates do not

significantly change between states that enforce and do not enforce the punishment. People commit

murders largely in the heat of passion, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or because they are

mentally ill, giving little or no thought to the possible consequences of their acts (ACLU). Given these

circumstances of a murderer, it would be unfair to send them off to die. Instead it would be better to place

them in correctional facilities, where they can receive help for anger issues, drinking problems, etc.

Nevertheless, not all people who commit a homicide are incapable to think of possible consequences.

The few murderers who plan their crimes beforehand intend and expect to avoid punishment altogether

by not getting caught (ACLU). People never want to get caught doing something bad. Therefore, those

who decide that they are going to commit a crime plan to avoid all consequences by getting away clean.

Thus, the punishment has no significant effect on their decision, ending as useless in deterring crime.

In conclusion, the death penalty should not be allowed in the United States of America because it

prints a barbaric impression on the nation. The capital punishment can be used as a method of revenge,

resulting in violence cycling throughout a community. The killing of a person for a death of another is

hypocritical as well, and places the government no better than the bad guys. Likewise, the possibility of

convicting the wrong man/woman and sentencing them to death poses too great of a risk to take. It is

better to release an innocent man from prison than discover that the wrong man was executed. Just as

important, criminals are going to commit crimes not because of the level of punishment, but because of

the belief that they will escape. Therefore, the death penalty does not have a direct effect on criminal

rates. Although the capital punishment does not violate the constitution as it has changed overtime, it

continues to be a burden placed on the shoulders of America and her people.

 Works Cited

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). "Does the Death Penalty Deter Crime?" ProCon. N.p., 25 Jan.

2017. Web. 9 July 2017.

Goodman, Paul. "The Pros and Cons of the Death Penalty." Soapboxie. N.p., 20 Mar. 2017. Web. 9 July

2017.

"List of 10 Biggest Death Penalty Pros and Cons." Green Garage. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 July 2017.