Controversy: The Anti-Death Penalty Reform

The death penalty has been a system of punishment since its establishment in 1608 when Captain George Kendall became the first recorded execution in the new colonies. As the deaths caused by the death penalty per year began to lower, the levels of controversy surrounding its use began to rise. Today the death penalty has become more of a burden than a boon to society. I believe that in its current form the death penalty is a costly, discriminatory, and cruel system that needs to be reformed. One reason the current death penalty needs to be reformed is it costly system.. Handing down the punishment of the death penalty is a loaded sentence. There are many steps and requirements that must be met in order to execute the accused criminal. These

This decrease in popularity and general public opinion demands a reform of the current system. A driving factor behind the decline of the death penalty is the Anti-Death Penalty Movement. This movement which started 1790, ahs fought for the abolishment of the death penalty in America. Throughout the years they have changed their focus for fighting against the death penalty in order to address the changing political climate. Today they have shifted their efforts to focusing on the economic effects of the death penalty. In the efforts of convincing state legislatures to abolish the death penalty, the Anti-Death Penalty Movement focused “ on the problem of wrongful convictions” (McLaughlin 690). These arguments along with the many other issues exposed by the Anti-Death Penalty Movement, have succeeded in applying pressure to state legislatures on the topic of abolishing the death penalty. Another major factor that has contributed to the decline of the death penalty is the public 's moral view on the cruelty of the executions. As one of the most popular and widely accepted methods for carrying out the death penalty, death by lethal injection is considered the safest and most human method of execution. However, similar to many other methods of execution, miscalculations and unforeseen errors during the process of lethal injection can lead to an unintentionally prolonged and painful demise for those subjected to it 's wrath. An error that can occur during the injection of the lethal concoction is when a member of the execution team “injects the drug into a muscle instead of a vein, or if the needle becomes clogged, extreme pain can result” (Bohm 1). Not only would the victim experience an intense amount of pain, but would also prolong their imminent death. Lying on execution room gurney in a unimaginable amount of pain while the execution team preps another