Capital Punishment and its Alternatives Essay examples

Steven Bright, a human rights attorney, states, It can be argued that rapists deserve to be raped, that mutilators deserve to be mutilated. Most societies, however, refrain from responding in this way because the punishment is not only degrading to those on whom it is imposed, but it is also degrading to the society that engages in the same behavior as the criminals. The Eighth Amendment in the Bill of Rights, exempts all unusual or cruel criminal punishments (Bill of Rights). Including exemption of extremely high bails, death by firing squad, being strangled, burned, etc. (Bill of Rights). The controversy here is if the Eighth Amendment includes or omits capital punishment. Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, can be†¦show more content†¦In addition, the severity of capital punishment is the ultimatum of a human being’s death. This is truly unfair since in certain cases, inmates are found to be innocent but it is too late. Unfortunately, this is what happened in the case of George Stinney Jr. George was a fourteen-year-old black boy who was executed in 1944 for allegedly killing two white girls in South Carolina (San Jose News). He was wrongly accused and later convicted with lack of evidence and an unsteady confession in a segregated society (San Jose News). Even if the case is reopened and Stinney’s name is cleared, justice can never be held for young Stinney and his family. One of the cruel realties of capital punishment is once your punishment is served, it is too late. Another is stated by Bryan Stevenson, a death row lawyer, â€Å"The reality is that capital punishment in America is a lottery. It is a punishment that is shaped by the constraints of poverty, race, geography and local politics. Alternatives for capital punishment are endless. Life without parole is one of the most common. However, the best alternative for capital punishment is one where no murder happened at all (Ted). The truth is we cannot eliminate murders one-hundred percent, but we can do our best to prevent it. Research tells us that eighty percent of inmates on death row come fromShow MoreRelated Capital Punishment: The Correct Alternative Essay1497 Words   |  6 PagesCapital Punishment: The Correct Alternative      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Today there is a big controversy over capital punishment whether or not it works or if it is morally right. Before I go on capital punishment, in America, is only used in felony cases such as murder or a felony buglary, where there was a unintended murder because of a robbery. People who favor the death penalty say that the criminals deserve it and is the only way for justice to be served. People who are against it, the death penalty, say thatRead MoreCapital Punishment Has Always Been A Major Controversy1710 Words   |  7 PagesCapital punishment has always been a major controversy ever since the Supreme Court ruled it constitutional. Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, became extremely popular as a use of â€Å"punishment† for ones illegal actions. The death penalty was first established during 1834 for crimes committed such as â€Å"idolatry, witchcraft, blasphemy, murder, manslaughter, poisoning, bestiality, sodomy, adultery, man steal ing, and false witness in case rebellion† (Bohm). According to Bohm’s articleRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Abolished965 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish 9 7 April 2017 Capital Punishment Over the centuries, capital punishment has fallen in and out of public support. In several countries, the practice has been overruled by law. In others, it is simply not exercised. More than half of U.S. states still practice capital punishment for capital crimes. Often, innocent people are sentenced to death because of circumstantial evidence. Capital punishment should be abolished in all fifty U.S. states because of the several alternatives to the death penaltyRead MoreSpeech: Against Capital Punishment Essay1185 Words   |  5 PagesAgainst Capital Punishment MOTION: We believe that capital punishment is not needed in a civilised community. Imagine yourself in a small, isolated cabin waiting to be led to your execution. A small, scrawny man comes to collect you. Your whole life rushes past you as you take your few, final footsteps to the execution chamber. This is the thought 7,000 people have experienced in the last 18 months. These people were executed cruelly by capital punishment in Read MoreArgumentative Essay On Capital Punishment1689 Words   |  7 Pages Abstract Capital punishment is the execution of criminals for the crimes they committed. This paper explores three reasons as to why capital punishment is wrong and should be abolished. One downfall to capital punishment includes the risk of taking an innocent life such as Cameron Todd Willingham who was wrongfully convicted in 1992 and executed in 2004. There is also a risk of having a botched execution. A mistake might be made during the procedure, making it long and painful for the prisonersRead MoreThe Costs of the Death Penalty in the United States Essay1518 Words   |  7 PagesThe Costs of the Death Penalty in the United States Capital punishment has existed in the US since colonial times. Since then, more than 13,000 people have been legally executed. Today, there are only twelve states which do not have the death penalty: Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin, as well as Washington D.C. The locations of these states are importantRead MoreArgumentative Essay On The Death Penalty1112 Words   |  5 Pagespenalty is defined as the punishment of execution, administered to someone who has committed a terrible crime (Capital Punishment 1). This is also known as capital punishment, which is known for disregarding the human rights. Although many countries continue to enforce the death penalty, some countries think it should not be practiced. According to the United States, the death penalty continues to be a charged and controversial political and legal issue(Capital Punishment 1). In addition to, the deathRead More Capital Punishment Essay: Capital Punishment Targets the Poor1031 Words   |  5 PagesCapital Punishment Targets the Poor In some states, inmates can be executed for crimes they committed at the age of 16; in others, only those who committed murder at age 18 or older are eligible for the death penalty. This essay will demonstrate that such inconsistencies and many other factors cause a situation where the poor are consistently targeted by the death penalty.    Some states, but not all, ban the execution of people with mental retardation. Some states include felonyRead MoreCapital Punishment : The Death Penalty1644 Words   |  7 Pages Death Penalty in America Death penalty, which is often described as capital punishment, is pronounced on offenders who have committed extremely heinous crimes. It is an ancient practice but in the United States it has faced several controversies in the latter half of the twentieth century (Robertson, 14). Does the death penalty serve any purpose in our current judicial system? Criminal executions were first implemented in our society as a crime deterrent to ensure that the offenders cannot engageRead MoreLife Imprisonment1378 Words   |  6 Pages| LIFE IMPRISONMENT IS A GOOD ALTERNATIVE TO CAPITAL PUNISHMENT | Can life imprisonment be a good alternative to death penalty? The issue remains unresolved. Even the US Supreme Court that had abolished ‘Death Penalty’ reversed its decision when new and less cruel methods of execution were introduced.  Why does a society punish its members for certain acts that are offensive and unacceptable to its laws and codes? This can be a starting point of exploring our dilemma about death penalty vs. life