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¶ … Bad Opinions Death Penalty
Justice or Death?
There has been a significant amount of debate surrounding the issue of the death penalty, particularly as it applies to the United States criminal justice system. Those in favor of utilizing this punitive measure as an ultimate deterrent and as a means of providing a sense of closure for family members and friends of both actual and potential victims may very well have possibly overlooked two very salient points about this issue. The first is related to the fiscal responsibilities that tax payers incur at the state and municipal level -- put simply, it costs a significant amount of money to execute a criminal (if he or she actually even is guilty). Furthermore, the savage act of killing someone for the fact that he or she may have killed someone else largely constitutes a violation of the "cruel and unusual clause" in the Bill of Rights, and in all likelihood is just as unjust as whatever crime...
Due to these two principle reasons, the death penalty should be abrogated, ideally in favor of life in prison.
A number of sources indicate that the pecuniary responsibilities to hard-working tax payers is up to five times as more expensive for executing an alleged criminal than it is to keep him or her imprisoned for the duration of his or life. There is a significant amount of litigation that must be passed, (and is typically contested and appealed and so forth) before from a legal perspective, a criminal may be allowed to be executed. An excellent example of this point can be found in the case of Stanley "Tookie" Williams, who is alleged to have been involved in the founding of the California street gang The Crips and who was convicted of murdering four people in 1979 and subsequently given the death penalty (Krikorian, 2005). Williams was not actually killed by lethal injection until December 13 of 2005, which means that for 26 years tax payers had to shoulder the financial burden of the ongoing litigation and legal appeals Williams defense efforts put together to postpone his impending demise. The salaries of…
References
Krikorian, M. (2005). "Tookie's Mistaken Identity." LA Weekly News. Retrieved from http://www.laweekly.com/2005-12-15/news/tookie-s-mistaken-identity/
Messerli, J. (2011). "Should the Death Penalty Be Banned As A Form of Punishment?" Balanced Politics.org. Retrieved from http://www.balancedpolitics.org/death_penalty.htm
Justice, Crime and Ethics Prepping the President: Ethical Analysis and Future Policy Initiatives Suggesting the Use of Rehabilitation in Corrections The President of the United States has just scheduled a town hall meeting entitled, "Criminal Justice Ethics: Today's News and Tomorrow's Solutions." Many of the country's most interested individuals in the field of criminal justice's present ethical issues are attending the meeting and expect to be informed on the status of some of
Capital Punishment Like abortion, the institution of capital punishment is a very divisive topic. The line dividing the supporters and opponents of capital punishment is variably drawn across political philosophies, race, sex and religion. The Governor of Illinois, not long ago, declared a moratorium on death penalty cases in his state. This essay is dedicated to a presentation of facts about capital punishment, without delving into personal opinions in support or
As such, it is unlikely to change in light of knowledge or information about the death penalty and its administration" (Vollum & Buffington-Vollum, p. 30). Furthermore, "those who scored higher on value-expressive attitudes were less accepting of information critical of the death penalty and, in turn, less likely to change their views in light of the information presented." Thus, the widespread support of the death penalty in the face
Studies consistently and generally show that, all factors held constant, the race of the accused is a critical variable in determining who will be sentenced to death. Black citizens are, thus, subjected to double discrimination. From initial charging decisions to plea bargaining to sentencing by the jury, Black defendants receive harsh treatment and, as victims, their lives are given less value than whites. Most juries still consist of all
Death Penalty II The Death Penalty and the Bible The Bible is an important and valuable book providing a wealth of information, and it should be used as a determination as to whether the death penalty should be chosen for certain, specific crimes, despite the often-cited issue of separation between church and state. Biblical Crimes Rape Sodomy Bestiality Adultery Murder f. Other Crimes The Death Penalty Biblical Times Ransom From the Death Penalty The Separation of Church and State The death penalty has been
Twenty other studies in the nation have found similar results in their studies. It has also been found that the race of the defendant plays a major role in whether or not he or she is sentenced to death. Blacks tend to be overrepresented in shootings that include robberies, while white offenders are more likely to commit crimes that involve rape and violence to the victim during the murder.