Punishment stems from our parents, our mom or dad or maybe even both, and their learnings stem from their parents. They would lecture, about the rights and wrongs. So when a child grows up, maybe steals a pack of gum at age five, something petty, they get away with it, get a thrill because they were never caught. That small, minor theft turns into something a little larger over time, each time as they grow. That frivolous pack of gum has grown into a larger larceny, maybe grand theft, or robbing a bank, eventually leading to murder, this is known as The Progressive Effect.
Most of us have a moral compass, so what should happen if that compass breaks? What is the purpose of punishment? The fundamental principal of justice is that the punishment should fit the crime. When one plans and brutally rapes or murders another, doesn't it make sense that the punishment for the culprit be equal to their crime? I believe in capital punishment, it is beneficial for society as a whole. Capital punishment provides a strong deterrence against future crimes. Capital punishment protects the rights of victims and saves costs of tax payers. The death penalty is a legal appropriate measure in the U.S. legal system.
In a perfect world, there would be no serious predatory crime, none enough to have heated debates concerning capital punishment anyway. But this world is not perfect, and unfortunately we do have offenders who just have no place in this world. Today, one of the most controversial, debated issue within the Criminal Justice system is the use of capital punishment, also known as, the death penalty. As stated in Procon.org; "Thirty-two states hold the death penalty as a legal punishment. Capital punishment, is the execution of a criminal by the state in which the crime or crimes were committed.".
Capital punishment does act as a deterrent. A prisoner sitting on death row cannot make parole, or escape from prison.