Both Sides of Capital Punishment

? Capital punishment is the gravest consequence for violating the criminal law which has been used for thousands of years and it dates back to Ancient Times. The first proof of capital punishment is from Hammurabi’s Code, where Hammurabi quoted: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” (ca. 1700 B.C). Nowadays, death penalty is a very controversial topic with many pros and cons. It can be a strong example, a safe and cheaper way to treat murderers, but it can also be a wrongful solution. First, death penalty is a strong message for people telling them not to commit crimes. According to the group Justice for All, the murder rate in the USA dropped from 10.2 (per 100,000) in 1980 to 5.7 (per 100,000) in 1999 (Jacoby, 2002). There is a reduction of 44 %. Moreover, in 2008 there was the lowest number of executions since 1994. Only 37 criminals were executed after committing a murder. Based on these statistics, when injustice is not tolerated, crime decreases (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_the_United_States). Second, once criminals are put behind bars, capital punishment ensures the safety of prison’s personnel, the fellow prisoners as well as the general public at large. Criminals who receive the death penalty are normally violent individuals. Therefore, they are a constant threat for other prisoners. For example, on September 24th, 2007, two prisoners wrestled guns from two guards, exchanged gunfire with other officers, killing one of them, stole a truck and tried to escape from prison. Finally, guards took control and the inmates attempt to escape failed (New York Times, 2007). However, the consequences of their potential escape could have been disastrous if they were on the loose. People would be in a constant danger if criminals were to be running away from the law. William Bailey, a Cleveland State University sociologist says, “People are frightened and upset about crime in the streets. Nothing seem to be done to solve the problem, so