Close to 90 countries have the death penalty, but nowhere is it debated so often as

in the United States where each state can formulate its own policy according to the
Constitution. 38 of the 50 states allow the death penalty as a sentence although
some, such as Illinois, have recently imposed a moratorium while they study the
arguments for and against.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

Arguments

Pros

The principle of capital punishment is that certain murderers deserve nothing less
than death as a just, proportionate and effective punishment. There are problems
with the death penalty, but these are with its implementation rather than its
principle. Murderers forgo their rights as humans at the moment when they take away
the rights of another human. By wielding such a powerful punishment as the response
to murder, society is affirming the value that is placed upon the right to life of
the innocent person. Many more innocent people have been killed by released,
paroled or escaped murderers than innocent people executed.

cons

Execution is, in simplest terms, state-sanctioned killing, and it devalues the

respect we place on human life; how can we say that killing is wrong if we sanction
killing criminals? More importantly, the whole principle is outweighed by the
proven risk of executing innocent people. 23 innocent people were executed in the
USA in the 20th century. The avoidable killing of an innocent person can never be
justified, in any circumstances.

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________

pros

Capital punishment is 100% effective as a deterrent to the criminal being executed;

that killer cannot commit any more crimes. As a deterrent to others, it depends on
how effectively the death penalty is applied; in the USA where less than 1% of
murderers are executed, it is difficult to assess the true effect of deterrence.
But for example, a 1985 study (Stephen K. Layson, University of North Carolina)
showed that 1 execution deterred 18 murders.

cons

Higher execution rates can actually increase violent crime rates. California
averaged 6 executions a year from 1952 to 1967, and had twice the murder rate than
the period from 1968 until 1991 when there were no executions. In New York, from
1907 to 1964, months immediately following an execution showed a net increase of
two murders - an average over a 57-year period.

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________

pros

If and when discrimination occurs, it should be corrected. Consistent application

of the death penalty against murderers of all races, and in cases where the victims
were of all races, would abolish the idea that it can be a racist tool. This could
be done by making it mandatory in all capital cases.

cons

Implementation of the death penalty, particularly in America, can suffer from

social or racial bias and in fact be used as a weapon against a certain section of
society. In the USA nearly 90% of those executed were convicted of killing whites,
despite the fact that non-whites make up more than 50% of all murder victims.

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________

pros

Opponents of the death penalty prefer to ignore the fact that they themselves are
responsible for its high costs, by causing a never-ending succession of appeals.
Prisons in many countries are over-crowded and under-funded, and this problem is
made worse by life sentences or delayed death sentences for murderers. Why should
the taxpayer bear the cost of supporting a murderer for an entire lifetime?

cons

Capital punishment costs more than life without parole. Studies in the US show that
capital cases, from arrest to execution, cost between $1 million and $7 million. A
case resulting in life imprisonment costs around $500,000.

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________

pros

Different countries and societies can have different attitudes towards the
justifiability of executing mentally incompetent or teenaged murderers. If society
is against such executions, then in cases where they happen it is a problem with
the implementation of capital punishment. For opponents to seize on such cases is
to cloud the issue; this is not an argument against the principle.
cons

Defendants who are mentally incompetent will often answer "Yes" to questions in the
desire to please others. This can lead to false confessions. Over 30 mentally
retarded people have been executed in the USA since 1976.

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________

pros

Some criminals are beyond rehabilitation; it may be that capital punishment should
be reserved for serial killers, terrorists, murderers of policemen and so on.

cons

by executing criminals you are ruling out the possibility of rehabilitation - that
they may repent of their crime, serve a sentence as punishment, and emerge as a
reformed and useful member of society.