What is Capital Punishment? Free Essay Example

Capital punishment, which is also referred to as the death penalty is a harsh procedure. Today, many people argue whether it should or should not apply to certain criminal situations. People believe that capital punishment should be put to an end since human life is valuable, everyone has a right to life, sometimes innocent is executed, and it violates the 8th amendment. On the other hand, many say that it should continue due to certain factors such as the fact that it is a form of retribution, it provides closure, it has a deterrent effect, and it also helps maintain the prison population.

Although there are two opposite sides, it is a good idea to have an understanding of both.

People that believe that it should be put to an end have various reasons supporting their side. One of these reasons is the fact that human life is valuable; sometimes the worst murders do not deserve to have their life taken from them.

Another reason is that people have the right to life since it is a natural human right, similar to how Thomas Hobbes and John Locke believed in natural rights, which included the natural right of life. A third reason why people think that this should not continue is the execution of the innocent. Sometimes, innocent people get killed. This since sometimes people make mistakes and there are flaws now and then within the Justice system. Lastly, people argue that two rights do not make a wrong. Killing is always wrong and that there are always alternatives, such as life imprisonment.

While people argue that capital punishment should be discontinued, there are people on the other side, arguing the opposite claim. They argue that it is a form of retribution. Since they took the life of another, they have forfeited their right life. This is similar to the idea of a life for a life. A second argument is how it causes closure to the victim’s family and community. People who were close to the person would be mourning and having a hard time after such a loss, and a death penalty could help them cope with that. Also, it has a deterrent effect, which means that people would think twice before committing a crime that can result in the death penalty. Lastly, it maintains the prison population. About one in five people currently in jails across the country is awaiting trial, so when the death penalty kills someone, it lowers that. However, that is not the most significant reason it is still a reason people argue for.

Today, it is legal in 29 out of the 50 states by the government and military. Life imprisonment has replaced the death penalty since it was abolished in some states in recent years. States all across the country will continue to debate about the death penalty due to reasons such as fairness, reliability, and cost. In recent years, it has been brought to court many times for people to debate about its future.

While this is a controversial issue, I am somewhat in the middle of the two sides of the argument. I agree that all people should have the chance to live; however, this also depends on specific circumstances. Maybe, a more ethical solution could be that people would have to suffer the death penalty if they killed more than one person, or possibly have a bad criminal record. Additionally, innocent people are sometimes killed by the death penalty, so I believe that there should be lots of investigation and studies to ensure they execute the correct person if it is needed. They must not kill the innocent, because then it is unfair, which defeats the purpose of the penalty itself. Another factor that puts me in the middle is how it provides closure to the victim’s family and community. They would probably be suffering from the loss and be outraged since the murderer did not get the punishment that they deserved. One thing that I do agree with, though, is how it has a deterrent effect. If a murderer knows that if they get caught, they will get killed, it would probably lower the murders and is a significant risk that they would have to be willing to take.

Capital punishment has some pros and cons people debate about. Some believe that is should still be something that should not be practiced. There are also people from the other side who believe that it should still be in use due to certain factors. Also, in recent years, capital punishment has been dealt with many times, and we can expect that something may change in the next couple of years. Only time can tell if it will be continued or not because of its fairness, reliability, and cost.