Capital punishment is a very serious issue. The people that deal with making decisions in cases where the death penalty is an issue need to be sure that their decision are based on the truth, and not based on what people say or feel. The death penalty is an effect method of justice. However, if the correct procedures are not taken, bad decisions can be made, and innocent people die. Different opinions are along with followed with my opinion based on my research. .
Capital Punishment.
Capital punishment is probably the most controversial act of criminal justice. The electric chair, gas chamber, and lethal injection are targets of protest across the nation. In certain states DNA tests have proven death row inmates innocent. One example is Illinois Governor George Ryan. Days before Ryan left office, he cited seventeen death row inmates had been proven to be innocent due to the help of DNA testing. The death penalty was brought over from Great Britain by European settlers. Back then people were punished for offenses such as hitting one's parent or denying the "true God" ("Capital Punishment",2003). In 1972, the Supreme Court voided forty death penalty issues based on its decision in Furman V. Georgia. The court decided "because the death penalty was imposed in such an arbitrary and capricious manner it violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of "cruel and unusual punishment"" ("Putting a moratorium on the death penalty",2003). This report will provide both pro and anti-capital punishment views, and give a better understanding on why people are for or against the death penalty. .
Pro.
Supporters of capital punishment believe that the death penalty is necessary for revenge for the most horrible crimes. People who support the death penalty believe that it is a uniquely effective punishment that deters crime. Some supporters contend that the death penalty is necessary for the safety of other citizens.
