Death Penalty

Essay by spadekingUniversity, Bachelor'sA-, June 2013

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Running Head: Death Penalty

Death Penalty

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CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

Let's assume that my opponent will be stubborn and insist on arguing the current version of the capital punishment. The current capital punishment costs about $1.2 million dollars. Compare $1.2 million to $2.83 million for keeping a criminal locked up for 30 years.

The strongest argument for the capital punishment, however, is the added cost to society of keeping a person in prison for 20 years at a cost of more than $50,000 per year (Schabas, 1996). The unnecessary and tragic death, financial and human loss, and heartache caused by each murder is a huge loss to society, and the $1 million public cost to provide that criminal with room, board and security for the rest of his life compounds the damage to society. Crime has become so prevalent in our society that people are no crippled with fear.

Fear of being robbed, raped and murdered. In societies that have abolished the capital punishment, prison cells are overcrowded and many of them are repeat offenders who, despite their incarceration are still actively involved in orchestrating criminal offences. It therefore means that imprisonment is not as effective as it ought to be (Schabas, 1996). If many of these offenders were given capital punishment then the number of crimes recorded would be less. The aim of any government is to ensure that the citizens are safe and if they live in constant fear then it means that the government has not achieved its objective, at least one.

I believe that I have successfully demonstrated that the capital punishment serves as a great deterrent to future criminals. It saves the lives of innocent people. It ensures the safety of the society brings justice to those who have suffered and most...