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Death Penalty

Introduction

Death penalty is referred to punishing a condemned individual by killing or executing him for the crime he committed. There are various reasons for punishing an individual through death penalty in the United States. Some of these crimes include felony murder, aggravated murder, drug trafficking crimes that cause a person's death and activities of contract killing (Friedman, pp. 28). Death penalty is practiced commonly in various regions of the United States to punish criminals who have been engaged in different crimes which caused someone's death (Bedau & Paul: 74).

The death penalty has become one of the most controversial issues worldwide in the area of criminal justice. While the death penalty is not banned under international law, the growing international trend is toward limitations in its use. In recent years, and in opposition to this trend, the imposition and use of the death penalty has increased in the United States, a fact that sparked heated debate. Intensifying the debate is the recent use of DNA evidence and other high technology investigative tools, which have resulted in a large number of reversals of death penalty convictions (Bedau & Paul: 76). In January of 2000, Illinois Governor George Ryan declared a moratorium on executions in his state when a thirteenth death penalty conviction was reversed by the state. Illinois has exonerated more death row inmates than it has convicted.

Thesis Statement

More than half the world's nations have banned the use of the death penalty or no longer apply it, even through the death penalty may remain legal.

Focus of the Paper

The main purpose of this essay is to summarize that death penalty is not the right method of punishing criminal. Although death penalty is considered to be legal but there are other legal ways to punish criminals and prevent crime too. Death penalty is considered as a punishment which aims to create a sense of fear among the citizens and stop them from committing serious crimes but it is very important to understand that death penalty is not the right way to execute an individual (Winters: 102). The objectives of the government should be to take preventive measures to prevent crime effectively in the country and not to punish individuals by taking their lives after committing a serious crime.

Discussion and Analysis

Particularly controversial is the use of the death penalty to execute juvenile offenders. Few countries authorize the use of the death penalty on juvenile offenders, and among those few, the United States is the only non-third world country to impose this ultimate punishment. Only six nations have executed juvenile offenders in the 1990s: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Nigeria, Yemen and the United States. With six executions in the 1990s, the United States has performed the most executions of juvenile offenders of any nation (Banner: 69). Executions of juvenile offenders are even more controversial than the use of the death penalty for adult offenders. Supporters believe that the adage “if you can't do the time, don't do the crime” should apply across the board ...