Pros and Cons of Death Penalty and Capital Punishment

When it comes to the debate about death penalty and capital punishment, everybody has a different view on the subject. Altogether, the death penalty is permitted in 74 countries, including the United States. There are 34 states with the death penalty in the US and each of these states has different laws pertaining to capital punishment. Other than first-degree murder, some crimes that are punishable by the death penalty include treason, espionage, drug trafficking, aggravated kidnapping, and aircraft hijacking. Let’s look at the pros and cons of death penalty and capital punishment.

Pros of Death Penalty & Capital Punishment

One of the main arguments for the justification of the death penalty is retribution or punishment. Proponents of the death penalty often cite the verse in Exodus 21:24 which says “eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot”. When a person commits an aggravating murder, justice is served through capital punishment. With the death penalty, society will be rid of the worst criminals so more lives will be saved and crime will be reduced in the long run. People who support capital punishment claim that it’s less costly to put a criminal to death than to imprison the criminal for a lifetime. In this sense, taxpayers’ money can be saved. If the convicted person is sentenced to the death penalty, the family of the victim will feel more satisfied that justice has been served. Capital punishment is the way to ensure that a criminal is punished according to the severity of the crime. The death penalty is also believed to be a deterrent to serious crimes because a person will think twice before committing a crime. In regards to a person’s innocence or guilt, proponents believe that DNA testing will eliminate all uncertainties.

Cons of Death Penalty & Capital Punishment

One of the main arguments against the death penalty is the possibility that some of the executed people may be innocent of the crime. In the court of law, manslaughter is a crime which is not punishable by the death penalty but it can be hard to prove, even if there is conclusive evidence. Opponents of capital punishment often quote the example of Christ who advocates love, mercy, and forgiveness. It’s further argued that capital punishment does not deter crime in any way and life imprisonment is a stronger deterrent. This finding has been proven in some studies which have been conducted in the United States. There are also statistics to show that capital punishment may be racially biased because it’s five times more likely that a black person is sentenced to a death penalty. In some cases, the death penalty may be administered unjustly by some states. Furthermore, capital punishment violates a clause in the US Bill of Rights because it’s a cruel and unusual form of punishment. The methods of execution like lethal injection, hanging, gas chamber, electrocution, and firing squad are considered inhumane. Opponents of capital punishment believe that it’s the greatest denial of human rights. When people are sentenced to the death penalty, the public may get the message that it’s permissible to kill, under some circumstances.