Death Penalty Essay, Research Paper

ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY

I believe the death penalty should be abolished. I believe it should be abolished because it does not help curb crime. Another reason is It is not morally fair or just. We can?t be absolute in making sure people are guilty of the crime. It is more expensive than Imprisonment. The judgments are not completely impartial. I believe it is cruel and unusual punishment which is against the law. The death penalty does not help prevent crime. The murder rates in states with the death penalty are no lower than states without. The USA is the only Western democracy with the death penalty and we have the highest murder rate. Canada?s murder rate fell the same year they abolished the death penalty. I do not think that penalties affect the crimes that people commit that much I believe penalties help curb the peoples with criminal tendencies. We cannot make sure that everyone on death row is guilty. Since 1970 over 70 people have been released from death row because of evidence of there innocence. Between 1900 and 1985 350 people were wrongfully executed. A black person who killed a white person is 40 times more likely than a white person who killed a black person to be sentenced to the death penalty. The US is one of only five nations who have executed children or anyone who was under18 at the time of the crime. The other countries are: Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. This violates The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. A small number of countries continue to execute children. During 1994 2,331 prisoners were executed in 37 countries. 4,032 prisoners were sentenced to death in 75 countries. These were the only ones known to Amnesty International the true figures are probably higher. China, Iran, and Nigeria make up 87% of the worlds executions in 1994. In 1994 China executed 1,791 prisoners. 139 were executed in Iran. Over 100 in Nigeria. There are several hundred unconfirmed executions in Iraq. 55 counties have abolished the death penalty for all crimes. 15 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes but exceptional crimes such as war crimes. 27 countries consider abolitionists de facto but have not executed anyone in ten years or more. 97 countries retain the death penalty. Less than one percent of paroled murderers commit another murder. People who commit noncapital crimes and have served their full sentence are more likely to be repeat offenders. If this punishment is humane how come the put a hood on the prisoners? They do it to spare the witnesses and executioners the prisoners facial contortions caused by the pain. In 1992 a prisoner had an extremely violent reaction to a lethal injection and he gagged and had muscle spasms for 11 minutes until he died. In 1994 it took five minutes for David Lawson to die in a gas chamber while the whole time screaming ?I?m Human!? Most of the people who were convicted of the death penalty and killed but were found to be not guilty after the executions were convicted because of race, religion, and economic status. In 1993 Christopher Burger was executed at the age of 33 he had the intellectual capacity of a 12 yr old child. He was 17 when he was convicted of murdering a man. He was abused by parents, organic brain impairment, nervous severe trauma to the central nervous system, and schizophrenic. This was not brought up during the trial. You have to be at least be 15 to be executed. anything less is considered cruel and unusual punishment. I think the death penalty is wrong and should not be used. I say this because the USA is the only western democracy to use the death penalty but we have the highest murder rate. The death penalty is also not used on an impartial basis most of the people who are convicted are poor and of color. They also use painful and cruel punishments. The death penalty goes against the United Nations views. I believe that everyone has the right to live. Nature will take care of you if you are not the fittest. Execution costs more than 40 years imprisonment at high security. So all these arguments for the death penalty are not correct. It does not cost less and it is not the only way prevent repeat