Pros And Cons Of Capital Punishment - 1303 Words

Capital Punishment: The Benefits and Downfalls Taylor M. Osborne Charleston Southern University Abstract The following essay explores the pros and cons of capital punishment. A brief history of how capital punishment was introduced into modern society is included. Various resources have been used for research which include online articles, studies, and textbook references. This paper suggests the costs of capital punishment to be very high, but brings closure and justice to families, and even brings forth new evidence in some cases. While this form of punishment is seen as inhumane to some, it has been a successful method in various cases that are mentioned in this essay. This paper will conclude with the authors personal viewpoint†¦show more content†¦When the time came around for colonists to discover America, death being a form of punishment was brought and introduced. The first recorded execution in America was in Virginia in 1608. Captain George Kendall was executed for being a spy in Spain. (DeathPenaltyinfo.org) Virginia’s death penalty laws in the early colonial times were a bit extreme. For example, one could be sentenced to death for stealing grapes, or trading with an Indian. In the late 1700’s following the abolitionist movement, capital punishment was being viewed differently in some cases. Cesare Beccaria released an essay titled â€Å"On Crimes and Punishment† it immediately shook the world and had a big influence. It was first released it Italy, before making it to America this essay influenced Austria and Tuscany to abolish capital punishment laws. (Deathpenaltyinfo.org) The essay influenced Thomas Jefferson to consider revising Virginia’s death penalty laws. Over the years, capital punishment was always debated as justifiable form of punishment, and it still is to this day. Benefits of Capital Punishment This form of punishment brings ultimate closure the victims and their families, because the offender is being permanently moved from society and will never be able to hurt anyone again. However, in some cases, it can bring forth evidence that has been missing for years and can help solveShow MoreRelatedPros And Cons Of Capital Punishment1608 Words   |  7 Pageswhere capital punishment is legal. As of April 2016, there have been 1,431 executions in the United States, but the number of executions in recent years has been steadily decreasing (Timmons 2017). The death penalty can be put up for moral debate, and one can ask oneself whether the death penalty is ever morally permissible. There are some pros and cons to having capital punishment. For example, deterrence and prevention are good reasons to have the death penalty, but, in reality, the cons far outweighRead MorePros And Cons Of Capital Punishment1237 Words   |  5 PagesPros and Cons of Capital Punishment INTRODUCTION Each year there are around 250 people added to death row and 35 executed. The death penalty is the most severe method of penalty enforced in the United Sates today. Once a jury has condemned a criminal of a crime they go to the following part of the trial, the punishment phase. If the jury recommends the death penalty and the judge coincides, then the criminal will face some form of execution. Lethal injection is the most common process of executionRead MorePros And Cons Of Capital Punishment1319 Words   |  6 PagesPeople and courts often justify capital punishment as society’s moral duty to safeguard the safety and well-being of its citizens. According to Miriam-Webster, capital punishment is the practice of killing people as punishment for serious crimes. Murder is the unlawful killing of another human being. There is much controversy in the punishment of offenders who have committed murder. It is the maximum sentence a person can receive if the crime of murder is com mitted. Some would say it is inhumaneRead MorePros And Cons Of Capital Punishment1471 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Capital punishment is one of the most controversial ethical issues that our country faces these days. Capital punishment is the legal penalty of death for a person that has performed heinous acts in the eyes of the judicial system. Discussion on whether capital punishment is humane or considered cruel and unusual punishment has been the main issue this of debate for years. Recent discussion goes far beyond the act itself but now brings into question whether medical personal shouldRead MorePros and Cons of Capital Punishment3687 Words   |  15 Pages1.  Morality PRO: The crimes of rape, torture, treason, kidnapping, murder, larceny, and perjury pivot on a moral code that escapes apodictic [indisputably true] proof by expert testimony or otherwise. But communities would plunge into anarchy if they could not act on moral assumptions less certain than that the sun will rise in the east and set in the west. Abolitionists may contend that the death penalty is inherently immoral because governments should never take human life, no matter what theRead MoreThe Pros and Cons of Capital Punishment Essay855 Words   |  4 PagesThe Pros and Cons of Capital Punishment Since the mid 1900’s, capital punishment has brought many individuals into many diverse view points throughout the years. Capital punishment is a way of punishing a convict by killing him or her because of the crime he or she committed. Capital punishment will always have its pros and cons. There are opponents who absolutely disagree with capital punishment. And then there are advocates who support the idea. In the advocates view point, capital punishmentRead MoreEssay on The Pros and Cons of Capital Punishment1208 Words   |  5 PagesThe topic of capital punishment is one that is highly debated in our society today. Capital punishment is the ultimate punishment our society can give one for their actions. On the other hand, it is viewed as a denial of human rights that promotes more violence in our society. Religious Tolerance.org states that in the United States, over 13,000 people have been legally executed since colonial times. (Religious Tolerance) Is capital punis hment a moral act? It is not a moral punishment as it deniesRead MoreDeath Penalty: The Pros and Cons of Capital Punishment Essay527 Words   |  3 Pagesto you about these problems with the death penalty in my paper. Everyone should ask themselves what they believe. Do you believe that by killing people using the death it will save lives. The death penalty is called capital punishment. You get sentenced with capital punishment for really bad crimes. Some of the ways they do the death penalty are with lethal injection, deadly gas. In some of the foreign countries they will kill people that have been given the death penalty by a firing squadRead MoreCapital Punishment Essay667 Words   |  3 PagesAdvent Catholic Encyclopedia, Capital Punishment is the infliction by due legal process of the penalty of death as a punishment for crime. Capital Punishment, also known as, the Death Penalty has been around for centuries. The first established death penalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes (www.deathpenaltyinfo.org). Not only is Capital Punishment ancient, it is highly controversialRead MoreBureau Of Justice Statistics : The United States Primary Source For Criminal Justice1439 Words   |  6 PagesCapital Punishment. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). U.S. Department of Justice. 25 Nov. 2014. Web. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. Bureau of Justice Statistics is the United States primary source for criminal justice statistics. The website has published information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government. According to Bureau of Justice Statistics, â€Å"The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is a component of the Office