Pros And Cons Of Pro Death Penalty
The death penalty.
The death penalty.
The ultimate punishment for a crime is and should be the death penalty. With many views to cover and different types of view, this paper will be about pro death penalty. There is one point I will cover that will be against the death penalty, and that will be executing an innocent person, the rest will be cost to have inmates in jail and how incarceration does not rehabilitated inmates. Life or death is a very important decision that cannot be taken lightly.
The reason I am pro death penalty is because back in time there were not so many crimes committed and the reason was because they will make them pay. Now they have too many rights, privileges and they know that by making a deal with the prosecution …show more content…
they can get a deal. Also too many states have revoked the death penalty and this shows them that no matter what the crime might be they will not be punish, also waiting too long for the trial to start and be completed, then letting them fight back and re-trial is a lot of time and money that is wasted, from housing the inmate, court cost, attorneys and much more that is involved. Then there is the other side, the family if the person is low income and was the main house hold provider, the family will then apply and could get food stamps and Medicaid or CHIP for the children, this is also tax payers’ money. There was a time, when the law was, eye for an eye, and I believe that is exactly what we should continue to do. The world has change so much and mostly it is because too much consideration has been given to the ones that do not deserve it. You have to earn the respect and trust from others by doing good and not expect to be treated good if you did not commit a good action. In the article under Texas Department of Criminal Justice, it shows that from 1923 to 1973, 506 inmates were executed and 3 of them were woman. The youngest was black teenagers that was 17 years old at the time of the execution in October 5th, 1947 and was convicted of murder. Now this will not happen, a child or young adult is not treated the same as one over the age of 18, even if they are mentally mature and where capable of committing the crime. It also shows that in those 50 years eleven of the inmates in death row died of natural causes. One of them was a man name Danny Dean Thomas who died at age 54 after being in death row for 27 years and still did not have an execution date. He was detained at age 26 for the murder of a woman in her house and then throwing the body in a lake. This shows how back in the day the person was accused and prosecuted for the crime they committed, not taken in consideration age, mental state or any other rights they now give the criminal to avoid being responsible for the crime committed.
The execution of an innocent person.
A very important point that has to be taken in consideration in the death penalty is the possibility of an innocent person being executed. Here there is no margin for error, since there is no way to go back or apologize to the family. This is why the inmates stay in death row for many years, the trial has to be fair, provide all the evidence and be no reasonable doubt that the person being convicted is guilty of the crime he/she is being accused off. DNA is a process that was not available a few years back and has in the last years being able to free some innocent inmates as well as to prosecute someone that did commit the crime. As stated in the New Jersey Law Journal, “Unfortunately, DNA is not a fix-all. It only frees the innocent when physical evidence is available and it is not all the time. The same types of errors - mistaken eyewitness testimony, perjured testimony, authority misconduct - exist in the myriad of cases of wrongful convictions for which DNA cannot be used.” (The Risk of Executing the Innocent, 2002) This is a very good reason to oppose to the death penalty, it can be very tragic to execute an innocent person and as stated in the article not all the time the sources are liable. This has happen a few times, as well as someone that was already convicted is found innocent and is taken out from death row or be released as a free and innocent person.
Cost to the government and the tax payers to house inmates.
It cost an average of $60.00 to $85.00 dollars a day to house an inmate and it also takes up to ten years or more to execute someone that has already been convicted, that is too much money for one who has already been determine is guilty of the crime.
“Housing the approximate 500,000 people in jail in the USA awaiting trial who cannot afford bail cost $9 billion a year.” (Death Penalty Information Center) This is money that can be used to cure children that are sick for example with cancer or AIDS. I think that if someone committed a crime and took the life of another person, they should be executed, I know some people think that then the person will not suffer and that it will be an easy way out to the crime that was committed. But the cost to keep someone in prison for life is very expensive and not worth it, the person can commit another crime while in jail or can escape and will possibly kill to get whatever he/she needs to escape. The reason behind this is because this person does not have anything to loose if they are caught. Also the above cost has not taken in consideration if a person is sick and needs medical treatment, if he/she is so violent that he/she needs to have his/her own cell, which will also increase cost of money being wasted by having only one person in a cell versus two. “An example – Lubbock County, Texas has decided to build a $110 million megajail to ease the jail overcrowding.” This is another example of money just being wasted; I think that if a …show more content…
person committed a crime, and I mean any type, they should not be given all the privileges. There is a jail in New Mexico which I think is a great example of how inmates should be house and treated. They have too many privileges, like air conditioning, three meals a day, family visitations, calls, mail, cable television and many more. Many of these privileges will not be there for the family of the victims, especially the ones that resulted in death. So why do there inmates have the privilege of seen their loves ones, writing to them or talking to them, they shouldn’t. It is not fair that they are treated like this and that they are taken so much into consideration, when the victim clearly did not receive any consideration from them. In the Maricopa County Jail some inmates are house outside in tents. There is no cable T.V, the radio is limited to what the sheriff plays, which is four hours a day of classical music or educational programing that is run from the jail also pornographic material is not allowed. As written under Wikipedia under Joe Arpaio said “During the summer of 2003, when outside temperatures exceeded 110 °F, Arpaio said to a complaining inmates, "It's 120 degrees in Iraq and the soldiers are living in tents, have to wear full body armor, and they didn't commit any crimes, so shut your mouths." I think this is a very good example of how well they are being treated and some of them have committed horrendous crimes, not only murder or sexually abusing someone, but there are other crimes that are also as bad and like one of the posters in tent city say, “if you do not want to do the time, don’t do the crime”. This is so true, and because of how times have change is that I think the jails are so over populated, because sometimes they are better in jail than outside, where some do not have a job, or a roof over their heads nor three meals a day. All jails should be like this one, or similar this way people will think twice before committing a crime and jails will not be so over populated.
Rehabilitation in prison. It seems as though if someone is in jail for a crime, they will be rehabilitated and ready to join society once they are released. But the reality is other, in the article Financial Facts it shows, "A 2002 study survey showed that among nearly 275,000 prisoners released in 1994, 67.5% were rearrested within three years, and 51.8% were back in prison." (Incarceration in the United States, 2011) This shows that being in jail does not help rehabilitate the people committing crimes. Some of them I understand have not committed life or death crime. What about child abusers or the ones that have raped woman, yes they might have not taken a life but what they did is worst and leaves a person scar for the rest of their life; I believe this people should as well be put under the death penalty. Why will we keep a person like this in jail for years, running the risk that the person can escape, injure a guard or kill another inmate? Also if the government shows there is no leeway or pardon given, people will not commit the crimes or will think twice, because they are going to know the consequences. The rate of crimes has increased with the years because the law is not as tough as it used to be. There are a lot of rights given to a prisoner that does not deserve them, specially the one that committed horrendous crimes and hurted not only the victim but the victims’ family as well. Most of the time all this suffering and inconvenience is not taken in consideration when a trial is being done, and it should be because it is affecting a lot of people around the victim as well. In another article it states, "Prisons do less now to prepare inmates for life outside, vocational and educational programs have been cut and inmate participation in them has dropped." (Incarceration in the United States, 2011) Here I see two things that are completely wrong, if we are going to keep this people alive and in jail and some with the possibility of parole, then these programs should stay in jail and be mandatory in order for a person to be released. If the military can take and demand from an individual because they now belong to the government a prisoner should be treated the same way. Why will they have the privilege to have 3 meals a day, and watch television for the remaining time? They should be put to work inside of the prisons as a requirement and not an option. There are jails where if an inmate works then they are given double time, which means for each day work it will count as twice and ultimately they will be able to leave earlier. The same way they should be force to take classes to better themselves, so once they are out in the real world, they can get a job and be able to support themselves. The system is not working because it is not being handle the correct way and demanding this things from a prisoner is not being abusive or taken away their rights, does were given up by the prisoner when they decided to commit the crime. We all have free will and no ultimately we should be responsible for our actions. In conclusion I believe that in order for crime rates to decrease, the system has to be tougher, it has to show that they are not going to be able to get away with crime, whether it lead to the death of a victim or not.
As I said before there are many crimes that leave a scar forever, for example sexual abuse, and should be taken as well in consideration when someone is being given life in prison, they should get the death penalty. Wasting too much money in feeding and making sure this people have a decent place is outrageous, that money should go into other things, like education or helping children that have life threating diseases. Also the amount of time a person is in jail before the sentence takes place is too long, ten or twenty years sitting on death row and wasting money is not worth it.
Reference
Incarceration in the United States cost. (2011 September 12th) Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_States
Joe Arpio. (2011 September 15th) Retrieve from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Arpaio
Manning, S. New Jersey Law Journal. Op-ed: The Risk of Executing the Innocent (2002 February) Retrieved from
https://www.thruthinjustice.org/dprisk.htm
National Center for Policy Analysis. Two-thirds of Released Inmates Rearrested. (2002 June 3rd) Retrieved from http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=6640
Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Complete list of Offenders Sentence to Death 1923 – 1973 ( 2001 June 21) Executed offenders Retrieve from http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/prefurman/main.htm
The death penalty.
The ultimate punishment for a crime is and should be the death penalty. With many views to cover and different types of view, this paper will be about pro death penalty. There is one point I will cover that will be against the death penalty, and that will be executing an innocent person, the rest will be cost to have inmates in jail and how incarceration does not rehabilitated inmates. Life or death is a very important decision that cannot be taken lightly.
The reason I am pro death penalty is because back in time there were not so many crimes committed and the reason was because they will make them pay. Now they have too many rights, privileges and they know that by making a deal with the prosecution …show more content…
they can get a deal. Also too many states have revoked the death penalty and this shows them that no matter what the crime might be they will not be punish, also waiting too long for the trial to start and be completed, then letting them fight back and re-trial is a lot of time and money that is wasted, from housing the inmate, court cost, attorneys and much more that is involved. Then there is the other side, the family if the person is low income and was the main house hold provider, the family will then apply and could get food stamps and Medicaid or CHIP for the children, this is also tax payers’ money. There was a time, when the law was, eye for an eye, and I believe that is exactly what we should continue to do. The world has change so much and mostly it is because too much consideration has been given to the ones that do not deserve it. You have to earn the respect and trust from others by doing good and not expect to be treated good if you did not commit a good action. In the article under Texas Department of Criminal Justice, it shows that from 1923 to 1973, 506 inmates were executed and 3 of them were woman. The youngest was black teenagers that was 17 years old at the time of the execution in October 5th, 1947 and was convicted of murder. Now this will not happen, a child or young adult is not treated the same as one over the age of 18, even if they are mentally mature and where capable of committing the crime. It also shows that in those 50 years eleven of the inmates in death row died of natural causes. One of them was a man name Danny Dean Thomas who died at age 54 after being in death row for 27 years and still did not have an execution date. He was detained at age 26 for the murder of a woman in her house and then throwing the body in a lake. This shows how back in the day the person was accused and prosecuted for the crime they committed, not taken in consideration age, mental state or any other rights they now give the criminal to avoid being responsible for the crime committed.
The execution of an innocent person.
A very important point that has to be taken in consideration in the death penalty is the possibility of an innocent person being executed. Here there is no margin for error, since there is no way to go back or apologize to the family. This is why the inmates stay in death row for many years, the trial has to be fair, provide all the evidence and be no reasonable doubt that the person being convicted is guilty of the crime he/she is being accused off. DNA is a process that was not available a few years back and has in the last years being able to free some innocent inmates as well as to prosecute someone that did commit the crime. As stated in the New Jersey Law Journal, “Unfortunately, DNA is not a fix-all. It only frees the innocent when physical evidence is available and it is not all the time. The same types of errors - mistaken eyewitness testimony, perjured testimony, authority misconduct - exist in the myriad of cases of wrongful convictions for which DNA cannot be used.” (The Risk of Executing the Innocent, 2002) This is a very good reason to oppose to the death penalty, it can be very tragic to execute an innocent person and as stated in the article not all the time the sources are liable. This has happen a few times, as well as someone that was already convicted is found innocent and is taken out from death row or be released as a free and innocent person.
Cost to the government and the tax payers to house inmates.
It cost an average of $60.00 to $85.00 dollars a day to house an inmate and it also takes up to ten years or more to execute someone that has already been convicted, that is too much money for one who has already been determine is guilty of the crime.
“Housing the approximate 500,000 people in jail in the USA awaiting trial who cannot afford bail cost $9 billion a year.” (Death Penalty Information Center) This is money that can be used to cure children that are sick for example with cancer or AIDS. I think that if someone committed a crime and took the life of another person, they should be executed, I know some people think that then the person will not suffer and that it will be an easy way out to the crime that was committed. But the cost to keep someone in prison for life is very expensive and not worth it, the person can commit another crime while in jail or can escape and will possibly kill to get whatever he/she needs to escape. The reason behind this is because this person does not have anything to loose if they are caught. Also the above cost has not taken in consideration if a person is sick and needs medical treatment, if he/she is so violent that he/she needs to have his/her own cell, which will also increase cost of money being wasted by having only one person in a cell versus two. “An example – Lubbock County, Texas has decided to build a $110 million megajail to ease the jail overcrowding.” This is another example of money just being wasted; I think that if a …show more content…
person committed a crime, and I mean any type, they should not be given all the privileges. There is a jail in New Mexico which I think is a great example of how inmates should be house and treated. They have too many privileges, like air conditioning, three meals a day, family visitations, calls, mail, cable television and many more. Many of these privileges will not be there for the family of the victims, especially the ones that resulted in death. So why do there inmates have the privilege of seen their loves ones, writing to them or talking to them, they shouldn’t. It is not fair that they are treated like this and that they are taken so much into consideration, when the victim clearly did not receive any consideration from them. In the Maricopa County Jail some inmates are house outside in tents. There is no cable T.V, the radio is limited to what the sheriff plays, which is four hours a day of classical music or educational programing that is run from the jail also pornographic material is not allowed. As written under Wikipedia under Joe Arpaio said “During the summer of 2003, when outside temperatures exceeded 110 °F, Arpaio said to a complaining inmates, "It's 120 degrees in Iraq and the soldiers are living in tents, have to wear full body armor, and they didn't commit any crimes, so shut your mouths." I think this is a very good example of how well they are being treated and some of them have committed horrendous crimes, not only murder or sexually abusing someone, but there are other crimes that are also as bad and like one of the posters in tent city say, “if you do not want to do the time, don’t do the crime”. This is so true, and because of how times have change is that I think the jails are so over populated, because sometimes they are better in jail than outside, where some do not have a job, or a roof over their heads nor three meals a day. All jails should be like this one, or similar this way people will think twice before committing a crime and jails will not be so over populated.
Rehabilitation in prison. It seems as though if someone is in jail for a crime, they will be rehabilitated and ready to join society once they are released. But the reality is other, in the article Financial Facts it shows, "A 2002 study survey showed that among nearly 275,000 prisoners released in 1994, 67.5% were rearrested within three years, and 51.8% were back in prison." (Incarceration in the United States, 2011) This shows that being in jail does not help rehabilitate the people committing crimes. Some of them I understand have not committed life or death crime. What about child abusers or the ones that have raped woman, yes they might have not taken a life but what they did is worst and leaves a person scar for the rest of their life; I believe this people should as well be put under the death penalty. Why will we keep a person like this in jail for years, running the risk that the person can escape, injure a guard or kill another inmate? Also if the government shows there is no leeway or pardon given, people will not commit the crimes or will think twice, because they are going to know the consequences. The rate of crimes has increased with the years because the law is not as tough as it used to be. There are a lot of rights given to a prisoner that does not deserve them, specially the one that committed horrendous crimes and hurted not only the victim but the victims’ family as well. Most of the time all this suffering and inconvenience is not taken in consideration when a trial is being done, and it should be because it is affecting a lot of people around the victim as well. In another article it states, "Prisons do less now to prepare inmates for life outside, vocational and educational programs have been cut and inmate participation in them has dropped." (Incarceration in the United States, 2011) Here I see two things that are completely wrong, if we are going to keep this people alive and in jail and some with the possibility of parole, then these programs should stay in jail and be mandatory in order for a person to be released. If the military can take and demand from an individual because they now belong to the government a prisoner should be treated the same way. Why will they have the privilege to have 3 meals a day, and watch television for the remaining time? They should be put to work inside of the prisons as a requirement and not an option. There are jails where if an inmate works then they are given double time, which means for each day work it will count as twice and ultimately they will be able to leave earlier. The same way they should be force to take classes to better themselves, so once they are out in the real world, they can get a job and be able to support themselves. The system is not working because it is not being handle the correct way and demanding this things from a prisoner is not being abusive or taken away their rights, does were given up by the prisoner when they decided to commit the crime. We all have free will and no ultimately we should be responsible for our actions. In conclusion I believe that in order for crime rates to decrease, the system has to be tougher, it has to show that they are not going to be able to get away with crime, whether it lead to the death of a victim or not.
As I said before there are many crimes that leave a scar forever, for example sexual abuse, and should be taken as well in consideration when someone is being given life in prison, they should get the death penalty. Wasting too much money in feeding and making sure this people have a decent place is outrageous, that money should go into other things, like education or helping children that have life threating diseases. Also the amount of time a person is in jail before the sentence takes place is too long, ten or twenty years sitting on death row and wasting money is not worth it.
Reference
Incarceration in the United States cost. (2011 September 12th) Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_States
Joe Arpio. (2011 September 15th) Retrieve from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Arpaio
Manning, S. New Jersey Law Journal. Op-ed: The Risk of Executing the Innocent (2002 February) Retrieved from
https://www.thruthinjustice.org/dprisk.htm
National Center for Policy Analysis. Two-thirds of Released Inmates Rearrested. (2002 June 3rd) Retrieved from http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=6640
Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Complete list of Offenders Sentence to Death 1923 – 1973 ( 2001 June 21) Executed offenders Retrieve from http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/prefurman/main.htm