The big controversy of the death penalty is does it work and is it morally right. People who favor it say that it is the only way for justice to be carried out and they think the criminal deserves it. People who are against it say that it is immoral and had no place in a civilized society. Capital Punishment is justified by several means. Many supporters of the death penalty believe that capital punishment deters crime. I believe that is a false assumption. How can you tell if deterrence has occurred? You cannot. Unless the "prospective" offender reports that the fear of punishment stop them from committing the crime, you

Crimes carry consequences, which should be understood. Murder is a crime that involves the loss of life of an innocent human and that act needs to be justly punished. Not with an "overextended welcome" in a prison but in an effective manner that lets society know that justice is being duly served. If we were to take capital punishment away, we would not have an effective justice system and crimes against innocent people will continue. And that is why it is needed in America.

will never know if it works. Deterrence can only work when the threat of punishment is combined with the act being believed as morally wrong. Without the conviction of morality, the easily frightened will not break the law but the irrational and fearless will. Apparently though, certain sections of society have become desensitized to the point that human life has no value whatsoever. Nothing will hold deterrent value. These people do not think about the consequences of their actions. But this lack of morals and foresight cannot be used as an excuse for the toleration of such violent crimes. If we used the death penalty as the law intended, it could actually reduce the number of violent murders by eliminating so of the repeat offenders being used a method of justice and not just a method of deterrence.

Many people are against the death penalty because they think innocent peop

Some common words found in the essay are:
Capital Punishment, Lethal Injection, Furman Georgia, Hammurabi's Code, death penalty, Death Penalty, Greeks Romans, capital punishment, Socrates Jesus, sentenced death, innocent people, Supreme Court, murder person, justice served, victim's family,
Approximate Word count = 915
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)