Arguments for and against the Death Penalty

Death Penalty

Death penalty refers to punishment by execution. It is also known as capital punishment where the government authorizes the killing of an individual for committing a heinous crime. Deterrence points out on the ability of capital punishment to minimize or prevent criminal actions. Proponents and societies in support of death penalty use the punishment as a warning to those planning to engage in criminal activities[1]. As such, they believe that execution deters people from engaging in crimes and, therefore, should be applied to criminals. On the other hand, opponents argue that there are other punishments besides the death penalty which can be used to deter capital crimes. In this discourse, arguments for and against the death penalty will be discussed and a conclusion made on the best way to deal with capital criminals.

Supporters of the Death Penalty

To start with, supporters of the death penalty believe that it reduces crime rates and save lives which would otherwise be lost. They believe that capital punishment application acts as the best method to deal with criminals involved in very heinous crimes. Crimes such as murder, treason, and rape require the use of strict penalties like death[2]. Further, the proponents view the death penalty as a deterrent of crime and that law should be applied in totality on the culprits. Additionally, they believe that life imprisonment or spending some year in prison is an insufficient conviction to punish offenders of capital acts. As such, the death penalty is a deterrence as it discourages people from engaging in criminal acts. The argument by promoters of capital punishment is that fear of death deters people from committing heinous crimes and thus should be upheld.

Opponents of the Death Penalty

On the other hand, the death penalty has been regarded as a way of brutalization and disrespect of human life. As such, executions have been associated with an increase in crime rates more so homicides. Opponents of the death penalty reject the deterrent aspect of capital punishment argue that there is no solid evidence that it reduces the crime rates. They propose that prolonged imprisonment could achieve more in deterring crime than the death penalty[3]. The opponents also reject capital punishment as it is administered based on ethnic and racial grounds where the minorities and the poor are prone to be found guilty of crimes and sentenced to the death penalty. Therefore, execution is not the best approach to reduce crime rates.

Alternatives to the Death Penalty

The death penalty is a controversial issue in the social arena as the majority argue about the likelihood that innocent people may be executed. Besides, capital punishment is not the only means of prosecution as there are other sentences which are more humane and that respect the right to life. For instance, prolonging prison sentences is one of the alternatives to the death penalty where criminals can be held for a much longer time to give them enough time to reevaluate and correct themselves[4]. The longer time on prisons can be effectively be used to rehabilitate the lawbreakers by educating them on the importance of distancing them from crimes. As such, the criminals can get a chance for self-reflection which may be vital in changing their views concerning life. The life in prison reminds the prisoners of how their faults have affected them and, thus, tend to change their actions upon release.

Conclusion

To sum up, it is evident that the death penalty is a deterrent to crimes though not in totality. Therefore, capital punishment should be avoided at all cost and instead opt for other humane means of dealing with crimes[5]. For instance, criminals can be sentenced for life or even for some period where they can be educated on the need to stay crime-free life. As such, alternatives methods of dealing with criminals should be applied. The best way of punishing offenders should be the one that offers transformation of behaviors which would help them in dealing with people positively after their release. Thus, imprisonment aimed at rehabilitating prisoners is the correct way of dealing with criminals.

Works Cited

Chen D L. “The Deterrent Effect of the Death Penalty? Evidence from British Commutations during World War I.”(2016).

Leocadio P. ”Evaluating the Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment on Crime.”(2010).

Liebman J S., and Peter C. ”Minority practice, majority’s burden: the death penalty today.”Ohio St. J. Crim. L. 9 (2011): 255.

Manski C F., and John V P. ”Deterrence and the death penalty: Partial identification analysis using repeated cross sections.”Journal of Quantitative Criminology 29.1 (2013): 123-141.

[1] Permiterio Leocadio. ”Evaluating the Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment on Crime.”(2010).11

[2] Ibid.5

[3] James Liebman and Clarke Peter. ”Minority practice, majority’s burden: the death penalty today.”Ohio St. J. Crim. L. 9 (2011): 289.

[4] Daniel Chen. ”The Deterrent Effect of the Death Penalty? Evidence from British Commutations during World War I.”(2016).5

[5] Charles Manski and Pepper John. ”Deterrence and the death penalty: Partial identification analysis using repeated cross sections.”Journal of Quantitative Criminology 29.1 (2013): 3