Capital Punishment is Not an Effective Crime Deterrent Essay

While Capital Punishment has been one of the most feared things of our time, it is still being questioned if it is unconstitutional. The Death Penalty is being enforced in more than 100 countries in the world and are usually used in politically-related cases. Although it has been the case in many countries throughout the world it has been said that the Death Penalty is cruel and unusual punishment which is a direct violation to the Bill of Rights. Capital Punishment is a certain copy of the earliest days of slavery, when you had no rights or any different opinion, and like then, executions have no place in our civilized society. The Death Penalty, throughout its years of existence, has always†¦show more content†¦There has been substantial evidence to show that courts have been impulsive, racially biased, and unfair in the way in which they have sentenced some persons to prison but others to death. In 1944 Gunnar Myrdal reported in his book American Dilemma that the South makes the widest application of the Death Penalty, and Negro criminals come in for much more than their share of the executions Between the years of 1930 and 1940 the African Americans only made up about 12 percent of the United States population, but between those times they also made up about 51 percent of the people that were executed. Juries are more likely to impose the death penalty on blacks than on whites accused of the same offense (Administra- tion Office of the Courts). Of the 145 cases studied by the Administration Office of the Courts it was shown that whites would have received the death penalty at a higher rate since they met the criteria for capital punishment more often. Yet, the case studies revealed that this was not the situation. Is the value of a white life worth more than a person of color? When Capital Punishment is put into a case and the person has been killed there is no way to get back from that if they are later found to have been innocent. If a person is sentenced to life without parole and is later found to be innocent, that person can still be released, butShow MoreRelatedThe Abolition of Capital Punishment in Australia1014 Words   |  5 Pagesof capital punishment in Australia in 1973 imprisonment has been the only option as a sanction for murder. A survey conducted in 2009 demonstrated that a clear majority of Australians (64%) believed that imprisonment should be the punishment for murder as opposed to 23% stating the death penalty should be used and 13% did not wish to comment. The death penalty is not an effective punishment for all cases and there has not been any solid evidence stating that it is a more effective deterrent thanRead MoreCapital Punishment Of The Criminal Justice System1407 Words   |  6 PagesIn the United States, capital punishment has always been the spotlight of many debates concerning the consequences of severe crimes. Although capital punishment is deemed to be acceptable for violent crimes such as murder, there are numerous individuals who op pose the usage of capital punishment against violent offenders. Both proponents and opponents have given countless opinions concerning the deterrence effect of capital punishment. Research studies have also added fuel to the debate in regardsRead MoreCapital Punishment Debate Essay756 Words   |  4 PagesCapital Punishment Debate The death penalty is a tough debate and an overwhelming argument in this country. We as Americans put Timothy McVeigh to death by lethal injection just three months ago. 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