Death Penalty Essay, Research Paper

The United states is the only western democracy that still practices capital punishment.

There have been over 4050 executions since 1930. In 1994 alone, there were 257

executions in the United States. People who believe in capital punishment say that this

dehumanizing process deters crime. This is false because the death penalty has been

proven NOT to deter crime. In fact, during the 1980s, states practicing the death penalty

averaged an annual rate of 7.5 criminal homicides per 100,000, while abolition states

averaged a rate of 7.4 per 100,000. That means murder was actually MORE common in

states that use the death penalty. Criminals irrationally perform crimes, therefore, life

imprisonment ought to deter a rational person itself. Besides, no criminal commits a

crime if he believes he will be caught.

The death penalty is morally incorrect. Why do governments kill people to show

other people that killing is wrong? Would society allow rape as the penalty for rape or

the burning of arsonists? homes as the penalty for arson. Every time we execute

someone, we sink to the same level as the common killer. What is the difference

between the state killing and an individual killing? The end result is the same….one

more dead body, one more set of grieving parents, and one more cemetery slot. Every

time we execute someone, we are desensitizing the value of human life.

The death penalty is not now, nor has it ever been a more economical alternative

to life imprisonment. A study by the New York State Defenders Association showed that

the cost of a capital trial ALONE is more than double the cost of life imprisonment.

They also concluded that a death penalty case costs approximately 42 percent more than

a case resulting in a non-death sentence. Since 1976 the United States has spent 700

million dollars in it.

Another reason to get rid of the death penalty is the possibility of error.

Sometimes a person might be put to death who is innocent. At least 23 people have been

executed who did not commit the crime they were accused of. And that is only those that

we know of. When we execute an innocent person, the real killer is still on the streets,

ready to victimize someone else. If the innocent person is executed then the case is

closed forever. Or, at least until someone else gets killed by the real perpetrator.

If the death penalty is not an effective way to deter crime, then what is? The only

way is to prevent it from happening rather that enforce harsh punishment to scare off

potential crimes. New York lowered crime rates by putting more police officers on the

street, not by longer jail terms or death penalty. This was effective because if you think

about it, if I was to rob a store, first I would look to see if any police officers were

around. If I would see one riding around the block and another patrolling the streets, I

would think twice about it. Also, the availability of handguns plays a major role in

murder rates. It is a lot easier to kill someone by putting one bullet in their head rather

than stabbing or strangling someone. If we decrease the availability of handguns then I

guarantee there will be less murders. There are many ways to do it, but it is definitely

time to, once and for all, EXECUTE the death penalty.