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Punishment: Ethical Considerations Of The Death Penalty In The United States

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Ethical Considerations of the Death Penalty in the United States
A problem that is occurring in today’s society is whether or not capital punishment is worth continuing and spreading entirely through the United States. Capital punishment is a lawful infliction of death used as a punishment. Over the years it has varied from each state and which crimes are applicable for this kind of punishment. Currently, there are 31 states where the death penalty has been legalized (CNN 2017). 60% of the U.S has legalized the death penalty, indicating that this kind of punishment is highly supported by the public. Death penalty supporters have expressed that the death penalty is needed to reduce the prison population, also bringing peace and closure to …show more content…

According to the natural law, everyone's lives matter. Despite what crime an individual has committed it is still morally wrong to kill. Innocent people have been executed because of this form of punishment. Levy states, the innocence rate for death row inmates is 4.1%. Similarly, since 1973, there have been 144 people on death row that have been exonerated (Levy 2016). Secondly, this form of punishment does affect the offender's friends and family also when leading up to and during the execution. Putting the offender’s loved ones in the same pain as the victim’s family is morally wrong. Lastly, the flawed system has used discrimination against blacks and Hispanics (Pollock 2011). Some people believe that sentencing someone to death through the Judicial System protects citizens from further harm and restores a sense of morality in communities. But this is not about peace or protection, it is about revenge, unfairness, and inhumanity.The root of this topic being a controversial debate is because this punishment is often times used unfairly. Whether it is executing criminals to later realize that they were innocent the whole time or choosing this punishment based on someone’s skin color, it is very …show more content…

Revenge, under the disguise of capital punishment, has become seemingly moral because it brings peace and justice to victims and their families. Some believe that capital punishment provides retribution for those affected by criminals, however, the death penalty gives the government the power to have closure for a crime committed against the victims and their loved ones. The death penalty is a legal justification for immorally killing human beings. It is not only unjust, but it has also proven itself, time and time again, to be immoral as it is easily controlled by money and power (Wilson 2011). In the criminal justice system, it is easier to get away with anything, especially the death sentence, being rich and guilty than if you are poor and

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Capital Punishment Capital punishment is widely debated throughout the United States. The United States government at this time deems capital punishment constitutional. Even though the United States government deems it constitutional, each state has the right to make it legal or illegal within their state. Currently, only thirty-one states institute the death penalty. Pojman’s makes an argument through the utilitarian theory of deterrence justifying the death penalty, I will discuss this argument in more detail a little later.

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Criminals are shielded from cruel and unusual punishments. Finding the better option for good is sometimes the only answer. More so, execution is a crueler punishment than a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The process of entrusting a jury and judge with the power to decide someone's fate and put an end to their life will always be inhumane and seen as a cruel punishment. Although the Supreme Court has ruled capital punishment constitutional, it is difficult to determine if someone really deserves to die rather than just spending life locked away with no possibility of release.

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The death penalty is a sentence that has no use. The process has become too slow over the years to the point where some people die before they get executed. Similar to the case of Max Soffar who may have been innocent, but died of cancer before he had the chance to fight for the freedom he may have deserved(Houston Press). This also shows that the death penalty has taken and ruined the lives of innocent people. A study shows that 4% of defendants sentenced to death penalty are innocent(The Guardian).The second reason is the high number of botched executions that happen in the USA.

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From the beginning of the foundation of America, men have tried to figure out the correct way to deal with law-opposing criminals. From crucifixion and slavery, to death by firing squad and life sentences, the world has utilized different forms of discipline. The death penalty has formed into the most questionable form of punishment, drawing the most attention from the public eye. This sanction is used to punish criminals for committing the most heinous crimes and offenses. The crimes that obtain the death penalty mostly consist of murder which include murder during a kidnapping, murder for hire, drug-related drive by shooting, and genocide.

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Parks says, “Although historians have no way of knowing how long the death penalty has been an issue of controversy, they do know it has been debated for centuries”(Parks). Regarding this matter Amy Marcaccio published findings from polls that show around 70% of Americans support the death penalty (Marcaccio). Often times the death penalty is thought to deter criminals but others think that the death penalty is immoral and that the government has no right to determine whether someone should live or die. Capital punishment has been debated for centuries and will continue to be discussed for many years. While racial bias is considered a large issue, the process of being sentenced is far too extensive for this to be likely.

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Death Penalty: Constitutional, Cost Effective, and Retribution The public view of the death penalty as being the appropriate punishment for a capital crime has shifted back and forth multiple times in the last century. The ruling by the Supreme Court in 1972 found the existing death penalty statutes and not the death penalty itself-unconstitutional (Sheherezade C. Malik & D. Paul Holdsworth 2015). Many states performed a legislative reform and did reinstate the death penalty as a legal and constitutional method of punishment for capital crimes. However, there are still many people that argue the constitutional aspects of the death penalty, the cost of proceedings and the retribution versus revenge for the victims are reasons to dissolve the

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The death penalty is currently the most severe punishment that can be received. Though it did not originate in America, it has spread to America and has become a controversial topic in America. Many have questioned its constitutionality, and many have brought this issue to the Supreme Court. However, it is obvious that capital punishment in America is unconstitutional.

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( Kaveny, 1). Adversaries see the desire for revenge as not a justification for cruel, barbaric, or inhumane punishment. Many believe that it is not necessary for society to carry out vengeance disguised as justice. It reaffirms violent offenders in devaluing human life while also creating a culture which teaches the lesson that the way to resolve conflict and settle scores is through

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Over the time, death penalty has been a debatable issue in the criminal justice system. There are numerous pro and anti death penalty perspectives that fight each other in the vague of providing justice to the victims. But is retribution justified and deterrent effect successful in providing justice remains a debatable issue. The cost of execution remains debatable again, considered one among the reason whether to execute or not. The proponents and opponents argue if it leads to cruel and unusual punishment violating a nation’s constitution.

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There are many pros and cons to this act. The Death Penalty is right in some ways for people because some people are just too dangerous to be kept alive, or depending on what they did, or also it could be bad because a lot of people are falsely accused. Also, many criminals want it as way out of this world. Some reasoning does have explanation

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THE DEATH PENALTY The debate concerning the death penalty in the United States has been a long, and seemingly never ending, discussion about the pros and cons of such punishment. The death penalty is self-explanatory. In the United States the crime of murder, in modern times, is the only crime punishable by death. The two sides of the debate are very polar.

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An overview of Capital Punishment A topic of moral that is constantly spoken about in our society is Capital Punishment. Capital punishment also is known as the death penalty, is a form of punishment that is giving to an individual by the state for committing certain crimes and being found guilty of committing these crimes. Although capital punishment exists in countries than just the United States the use of the practice within the United States, which to many, is the most prominent country of all is what makes it such a hot topic. The history of capital punishment exists back into the ancient times with the United States of America finally reinstating it in 1976 after it being abolished and reinstated over two times since 1608.

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The death penalty debate constitutes a contentious issue that has elicited mixed reactions across the global context. While law enforcement systems around the globe and specifically the United States have embraced this approach to punishment of prime offences, civil rights and religious groups have cited ethical and religious issues emanating from the use of this approach. The two groups have considered this issue highly contentious and requiring redress to ensure fairness and conformity to the human rights standards within the global context. The findings by Levinson, Smith, & Young (2014, p.513) noted that while various groups are opposed to the use of death penalty in punishment of capital offenses, the would-be criminals and offenders

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Politics, quality or lawyers and the place where a crime is committed are usually what decides whether the death penalty is used of not. Out of the 22,000 homicides committed every year about 100 people or less are sentenced to death (?Facts?). Even though the death penalty is flawed there are still people who agree it should still be used. Some people believe it deters crime.

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The death penalty should be an option because protects society from violent offenders, it deters would-be criminals, and it saves taxpayers money. Death penalty laws and regulations are one of the most controversial topics today. Capital Punishment goes way back into our history as the way to punish criminals for the crimes that they commit. According to “Death Penalty Information Center”, the first established death penalty laws go as far back as Eighteenth Century B.C. There is five different methods of execution that is used in the United States.

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