Against Death Penalty

Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.

Against Death Penalty

?Name

Subject

Tutor

Institution

Against Death Penalty

Against Death Penalty

Death penalty has remained the moist controversial subject in the judicial system over the years. It refers to the execution or termination of a person’s life by the state; usually as a way of punishment to a capital offence like homicide, rape and kidnapping among others. There are heated debates regarding the legality or illegality of the subject of death penalty. This controversy has resulted to the formation of many pro and anti death penalty campaign groups around the world. It has also led to the birth of international organizations like the Amnesty International; a human rights organization which is strongly opposed to the death penalty in all cases without any exceptions. It is against the background of the perceived human rights violations by the death penalty that campaigns against the death penalty have taken centre stage.

Many anti death penalty campaigners argue that using death penalty as a punishment for capital crimes does not result to achieving the desired rehabilitation or corrective objectives of the judicial system although some argue that it is the right way of punishing capital crime, it does not achieve the much needed rehabilitative role since a dead person can neither be rehabilitated nor corrected. Death penalty has also been viewed by most individuals and organizations as degradation to the immense value accorded to human life. Some organizations like the American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU) have been working tirelessly to end the disturbing scenes of the state sanctioned deaths in the United States. In many circumstances, death penalty defendants who cannot afford the huge expenses needed for paying legal fees as well as appealing their cases are accorded unfair treatment by the courts. Research in the United States has proved that poor death roll defendants from pro death penalty counties demonstrated a higher chance of been executed. Doesn’t this suggest unfair treatment?

Death penalty especially when publicized has been shown to be an effort in futility as a deterrent to crime. In the case of the death penalty imposed for the Linberg kidnapping in the United States, it was discovered that kidnapping cases had significantly increased in the few years following the death penalty on the offenders. This proves that contrary to those who view death penalty as a way of deterring capital crime, it may instead encourage crime. In areas where death penalty is exercised, execution of innocent persons either due to insufficient investigations, or even due to lack of witnesses on the defendant’s side has been observed. This has resulted to abolishment of the death penalty by some states due to the public shame resulting from the supposed killing of innocent citizens as in the case of Rhode Island and Marine states. This demonstrates how death penalty has failed as a tool for fighting crime.

Some argue that the fear of the death penalty would make those intending to commit crime to refrain from the unlawful acts hence more crime would be prevented. However, history has otherwise proved that the rate of crime was more even when there were public and brutal executions of victims by stoning among other means. This provides support to the fact that the fear of death does not translate to reduction in crime rate; hence this should not be used as a justification to death penalty. Contrary to the common view of death penalty as a way of serving justice to the victims of capital crimes, research has pointed to vengeance as the main motive towards many pro death penalty campaigns. In Christianity, the bible denounces the idea of revenge as a way of exercising justice. Since many death penalties are driven by the spirit of vengeance, many arguments are in favor of abolishing death penalty as a means of punishing capital offenders. In conclusion, since research in most cases has shown death penalty to be a counter productive tool in fighting crime, alternative ways of punishing capital offenders should be explored instead of the controversial death penalty.

Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.

Share this:
FacebookX