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Arguments Against The Death Penalty

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The death penalty is too outdated to be used in modern society. It is tremendously more expensive than life in prison, does not deter criminals for committing crimes, or give a chance for the person to be proven innocent, thus killing people who may have not committed the crime to begin with. Additionally, it completely violates the eighth amendment and does not always grant closure to victims of crimes. As a result of these facts, many argue capital punishment as unconstitutional and that it should be abolished
First, the death penalty is more costly than a life sentence. It has been estimated that the average cost for a person carrying out a life sentence in prison is around one million dollars. On the other hand, the average cost for someone …show more content…

The first execution in the United States that had been recorded was in 1608. (Clark County Prosecutor 2011). While the amount of these has drastically declined over the years, the crimes being committed that are punishable by capital punishment have not.
Although the trials and investigations for someone on death row are ample and extensive, mistakes do happen. Corrupt officials and other flaws in creating a seamless trial are quite likely in cases that include the death penalty or a life sentence. If a person is wrongfully executed for a crime they have not committed, they cannot get their life back. Alternatively, if someone is jailed for said crime, and later proven innocent, they have the opportunity to resume their lives as usual and sue the courts for violating their rights.
The death penalty severely violates the eighth amendment against cruel and unusual punishment. There is not a humane or completely painless method to go about with capital punishment, and oftentimes they result in extraordinary amounts of pain for the person being executed. This may also be extremely traumatizing and mentally scarring for those performing the execution. Killing someone in such a manner, be it legal or not, dehumanizes them, and strips them of their natural

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