death penalty Essay

Submitted By maddieru
Words: 331
Pages: 2

The death penalty or capital punishment is used on a wide range of crimes. 58 nations presently use capital punishment. In 1972 capital punishment was ruled unconstitutional in Furman v. Georgia arguing that it violated the 8th and 14th amendments, but in 1976 it was switched in Gregg v. Georgia. The death penalty however isn't legal is 13 states. Some argue that if the threat of the death penalty decreses the number of murders will increase. Crime has continued to increase because there are now loopholes created that offenders can use so the risk to them of commiting crime is not as high. Another argument for the death penalty is that people have free will to commit crimes and that that they should be punished accordingly. The death penalty can also be used as a deterrent of crime. Some peope argue that justifying murder with a death sentence is hypocritical, however if someone was arrested and put in prison for kidnapping that is seen to be fair. In my opinion I think that under the right circumstances the death penalty is not only fitting but necessary. The whole objective of the criminal justice system and legal system is to protect the people and provide justice to victims and offenders.Offenders should never be spared at the expense of the victims. Those who have been murdered do not get the luxury of a choice of a last meal or statement, so arguments that claim that the death penalty is inhumane seem to disregard the real victims. The percentage of recidivism of