so here it is i have works cited and stuff after this but this is the into conc. and body just need to make sure the punctuation is good and everything makes sense, and everything is accepted by mla format just post or pm me corrections to make. The rules of the paper were direct quotations and must use signal phrases to introduce them and other dumb stuff about how many sources and etc. all of these rules are met. just want people to make sure everything is grammatically correct and such
Ever since the death penalty was instated it has been the subject for political battlegrounds and been highly debated. There are many reasons that prove that using capital punishment is acceptable and a tool that can be utilized by states who have adopted and accepted the law. Capital punishment not only deters crime, it also helps fight overcrowding of prisons, and most importantly, keeps people safer.
The first fact that supports capital punishment is that it is effective and efficient in deterring the incidence of murder. David Muhlhausen, an expert on Criminal Justice Programs states that “increasing the risk of apprehension and punishment for crime deters individuals from committing crime” (3). This proves that the fear of being sentenced to death makes criminals think twice before committing crimes in states who have implemented the death penalty.
The death penalty is a criminal sanction that is sometimes labeled as unjust punishment even though Capital Punishment is allowed under the United States Constitution. Antonin Gregory Johnson says in his article “The Death Penalty Does Not Violate The US Constitution” that “The infliction of any pain, according to Justice Stevens, violates the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishments, but so too does the imposition of capital punishment without pain because a criminal penalty lacks a retributive purpose unless it inflicts pain commensurate with the pain that the criminal has caused” (3). This shows that even a Justice says that the only way Death Penalty is unjust, is if it is used inappropriately.
Jonah Goldberg shares a view with me when he said “I am 100 percent in favor of lawfully executing people who deserve the death penalty and 100 percent opposed to killing people who do not deserve it” (2). The reason this is important is to show that people are not being executed for things like drug charges or driving under the influence. People put on Death Row are there for being guilty for murder. In most cases involving the possibility that a suspect could be put on death row, there is not as much room for error. Some prisoners awaiting their penalty have been found not guilty, but that is because evidence from DNA has resurfaced from years ago that makes it easier to double check and make sure the prisoner being charged is, in fact, guilty. “Prior to being able to impose the death penalty, the jury must conclude that the accused is guilty beyond any doubt” says Louis Klarevas (3). Therefore someone that is not guilty will be wrongly accused.
The cost of capital punishment is also a reason why it is highly debatable. Due to the fact that overcrowding is an issue in prisons as well as how long prisoners will live, there are other factors that outweigh the cost of capital punishment. Derek Schmidt in one of his articles says that “ there should be consideration of whether the list of aggravating circumstances that can lead to a life-without-parole sentence should be broadened to include more homicides than the narrow universe covered by the capital murder statute”(3-4). Proving that there is only a select few that are on death row and to help fight over crowding people that are sentenced to life for crimes like homicide could be put on death row.
The death penalty has been called inhumane and against human rights. In Caycie D Bradford’s article there is a quote that says “Despair is not greater than you find it on death row. You have been abandoned by even the most loyal of souls” (1). Some might say that the death penalty is just a reflection of the popular saying “An eye for an eye”, yet it is more than just that. When a murderer is put on death row it provides closure for the families of the victim’s family and friends and shows that justice has been served. Although it is horrible, that someone must remain in solitary confinement until they are put to death, it is even worse that an innocent person’s life was taken and they now cannot live out their full life.
Capital punishment has been a way of the law for years and years. It is essential in helping to deter future criminals from committing murder. It helps aid in prison populations decreasing by getting rid of inmates as well as keeping future, potential offenders out of prisons. The deterrence effect it has on the population is crucial to keeping violence to a minimum. The death penalty is sanctioned in the United States Constitution and is part of the way we handle criminal justice in today's society as well as in years passed. Modern technology makes it easier to stay away from wrongfully convicting someone who is charged and when that person is found guilty, they must be proven guilty unanimously and without any doubt.
Although the death penalty is still highly debated, it has been deemed lawfully acceptable by the constitution. It is important to the states that house the law to continue to maintain and keep capital punishment because it helps the crime rate stay lower and gives closure to the families of victims who were involved in the murder. Capital punishment is an important tool to utilize in states that have implemented the death penalty.