History Of The Death Penalty

“California executed its oldest death row inmate, Clarence Ray Allen, minutes after his 76th birthday on Jan. 17, 2006. The convicted murder was blind and wheelchair-bound at the time of his execution and was the last to be executed in California” (ProCon.org). Over time, many people like this man have been put to death. In fact, “The death penalty in the U.S. dates back to the colonial times, when European settlers brought capital punishment to the New World. For centuries, hanging was the most common method of execution” ( see “Methods of Execution,” p.9). This form of punishment was used as an example to show the public consequences of their crime. After the death penalty was in the United States for a while, the government started to question
if people should be put to death, unless there are certain restrictions. Now, regardless of age, sex, or race, society has started to debate the historical, social, and economical merits of capital punishment.

The death penalty has a long history, but now people are starting to wonder if it is justified.
“Between 1602-2002, 143 U.S prisoners were executed by gunfire, were burned to death, 15 hung in chains to death, 14 were bludgeoned/broke on wheel, and one was pressed to death between two heavy objects”(ProCon.org). Also, “By the 1950’s, most states were using either gas chambers or electrocution” (The New York Times Upfront Magazine, p. 10). This shows how the government has used capital punishment in a variety of ways throughout time. In the past, it was normal to have executions because the government thought the death penalty was necessary to the safety and justice of everyone. However, recently, society has started to question the death penalty because they think it's inhuman to kill people. For example, “Atkins v. Virginia (2002) banned execution of the mentally impaired” (Junior Scholastic, pg. 7). The importance of this is that now the government will not allow mentally ill people to be executed because it's unconstitutional. They ruled that it is not just to kill someone if he or she has problems that affect the way they behave. In the past, this would not have mattered, and people would not have questioned the death penalty. However, the death penalty has changed, and it has greatly impacted our country historically throughout the
years.

The social impacts of the death penalty have greatly affected society changing how we think about it in these past few years.
To begin with, “In examining 504 cases, Phillips found that defendants are six times more likely to receive death sentence if they kill the highest status victims (whites/hispanics who have college degrees and are married and have no criminal record), compared to those defendants who killed low status victims (black or Asian victims who were single, with a prior criminal record, and no college degree” (Death penalty Information Center). What they are trying to say here is that they judge the convict on whether they kill someone of white or hispanic race or they kill someone who is asian or black. Also they judge if you killed married college graduate with no criminal record as opposed to black or Asian victims who were single, with a prior criminal record, and no college degree. Racism takes place in these judgments but no matter what race they are the criminal should not get his or her life taken away from them. This gives a bigger reason to society to dislike capital punishment because they will be judged on their racial background not what the crime is. After all, “People who favor the death penalty argue that some crimes are so horrific, the only appropriate punishment is death. Many of them also say that capital punishment serves as a deterrent to crime. Those who oppose the death penalty argue that no one-including the state- has the right to
take another’s life, unless in self defense”(Junior Scholastic, p. 6). Knowing that someone terribly broke a rule deserves a harsh punishment but can’t they comprise something in between so they don’t have to resolve to execution? Why is a harsh punishment death penalty not prison for life? Isn't prison for life more torture because you sit there for the rest of your life doing nothing instead of getting killed? To add on, “A majority of Americans, however, continue to support execution for the worst crimes. An October 2011 Gallup Poll found that 61 percent favor the death penalty for people guilty of murder. Only 35 percent were opposed; 4 percent had no opinion”(Junior Scholastic, p.8). The long term impacts of death penalty since the colonial times have given people impressions that death penalty is good. Now 61% of americans think that death penalty is good while a 35% think that it is inhuman. 4% have no opinion (Junior Scholastic, p.8). The social impacts of the death penalty has a huge importance to subject matter.

The death penalty is very costly and people have began to change their thinking about it. To begin with, “studies have shown that administering death penalty is more expensive than keeping someone in prison for life”(Saving lives and money). This shows that keeping criminals in jail is less costly than giving them a death sentence because they are under intense observation which costs is arm and leg. People have began to see that
If it costs less to keep them in jail for life then why don’t they keep them there for the rest of their lives instead of executing them. Secondly, “A recent study by the Urban Institute, a think tank, estimates that the death penalty cost Maryland’s tax payers $186m between 1978 and 1999. According to the report, a case resulting in a death sentence cost $3m, almost $2m more than when the death penalty was not sought”(Saving lives and money). If Maryland alone spent $186m on death penalty then why is it such a hard decision to abolish D.P. It's so costly but as economist.com said the death penalty is there with very few benefits. Lastly, “Eliminating the death penalty will finance the new unit and leave $1m for other state programmes. Other states are trying to free up funding to help offset their huge deficits” (Saving lives and money). America should abolish death penalty to free up money to benefit us. Without death penalty states with many cases would save millions of dollars now spent on legal costs in other state programmes benefiting us. Additional savings would result in some states which now spend far more per inmate for death row facilities than other maximum security inmates. Death penalty has impacted our economic status in the United States

The death penalty has been here in the United States for four centuries already. But now it has begun to stir debate whether capital punishment is mandatory. Historically capital punishment was normal, but know, people have begun to question if it was justified under certain circumstances. Socially capital punishment is sometimes judged on the race you are. Still even though there are rising numbers of opposers more than half of America thinks it's okay to take someone’s life through capital punishment. Capital punishment is economical is growing very expensive and costly and in the long run it is less expensive to keep them in jail then sentencing to death. Now within the next few years capital punishment supporters will decrease as more supporters rise to oppose it as they debate whether it is necessary or not.