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The Death Penalty in the United States The death penalty in the United States is inflicted upon criminals by the state as punishment for an offence. This method of punishment dates back to the beginning of recorded history. Various primitive tribal histories indicate that the death penalty was a part of many ancient justice systems (Wikipedia). Nowadays, it is primarily used in cases where someone commits murder. Some people think that capital punishment deters crime and prevents convicted criminals from committing greater offences, but this idea is false. It has been debated for a long time because it is a poor way of punishing murderers. Execution in the United States violates human rights and is not the most effective way to inflict justice. Examination proves this point. The death penalty clearly violates human rights, is not an effective means of preventing other crimes and is very expensive. Research shows that most other countries do not practice the death penalty. For example, a study published in the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology reveals that eighty-eight percent of American criminologists believe that the death penalty is not an effective crime deterrent. According to this data, professionals have a passive attitude toward the death penalty. Amnesty International also researched this topic and concluded that “One hundred and thirty-five countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice,” and that only “Sixty-Two countries retain and use the death penalty, most often as a punishment for people convicted of murder” (Scott). According to this data, only a minority of countries use this method to punish murderers. This fact, combined with the opinions of American criminologists, proves that the majority of people across the world oppose the death penalty. The death penalty also violates citizens’ rights. The right of a person to security is guaranteed by Article Three of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

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