The Death Penalty

The Death Penalty

The Death Penalty can be considered one of the most debated issues in the United States. The death penalty is a judicially ordered execution of a prisoner for a serious crime, often called a capital crime (Capital). There are many people that oppose the death penalty and then there are many people who are for the death penalty. People who oppose the death penalty feel that it is not humane or it might be too expensive. The people who are for the death penalty feel that it gives a chance for individuals to be accused for their wrong acts. Most convicted murderers face the possibility of execution. The nature of the case is what decides whether or not the convict qualifies for the death penalty.

People who oppose the death penalty take the side that is too much money. They feel that it is far more expensive to execute the convict than keeping them in prison. In Texas, the cost of each execution case is roughly three times greater than detaining an inmate for forty years with the tightest security. Other states have similar statistics on how the death penalty is more expensive than imprisonment. One poll, "The Budgetary Repercussions of Capital Convictions" states that the cost of capital trials from 1982-1997 was $1.6 billion (Costs). Part of the taxpayers money goes to the cost of executing a criminal. Many feel that the money can be used for education or medicare. Also, many people opposing the death penalty feel that many convicts are innocent and they are being accused and executed. This example almost was reality for a suffering man, Greg Wilhoit. After learning his wife was brutally murdered , Greg was found guilty of the awful crime. He was sentenced to lethal injection and was placed on death row for five years. What saved him was the blessing of a new trial that found him innocent. After eight years of pain and misery, Greg has to carry on with his life. This shows that the death penalty can end the life of an innocent person just because the evidence was not sufficient.

There are some basic reasons why people support the death penalty. Many people believe in the death penalty because the Bible requires death penalty for a wide variety of crimes. Also people feel it is justice. If a person commits such a crime then receiving the death penalty is the only reasonable response. People think that death penalty will deter crimes. If a person knows they will get the death penalty then crimes may be reduced. The death penalty can also be used as a form of safety. If the convict is killed then people will never have to worry about that convict committing another crime. An example