Introduction To Capital Punishment According To Pew Research

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According to PewResearch.org, capital punishment is legal in a majority of U.S. states, including California and Nebraska, where voters decided to retain it in the 2016 election. However, nationwide public support for the death penalty has declined in recent years, along with the number of executions carried out. A majority of Americans believe that the death penalty should be abolished. This essay aims to explore the reasons why capital punishment should be abolished and propose potential solutions.

Paper For Above instruction

The debate over capital punishment has been a contentious issue in the United States for decades. Despite its legality in many states, there is a growing consensus that the death penalty is an ineffective, unjust, and costly form of punishment. This paper examines three primary reasons why the death penalty should be abolished: its failure to deter crime, the lack of justice it provides to victims and society, and its exorbitant costs to taxpayers.

Firstly, there is considerable evidence suggesting that capital punishment does not serve as an effective deterrent against crime. According to listverse.com, if the threat of any punishment is meant to dissuade individuals from committing crimes, then why do murders still occur at significant rates? In 2016, the United States recorded a murder rate of 4.8 victims per 100,000 people, equating to nearly 15,000 homicide victims that year. The presence of the death penalty has not demonstrably prevented murders or reduced crime rates, implying that it fails to achieve its primary purpose. This inefficacy calls into question whether executing convicted criminals genuinely prevents future crimes or merely serves as a punitive measure after the fact.

Secondly, the justice that capital punishment purportedly provides is deeply questionable. As explained on reddit.com, the case of a person convicted of heinous crimes such as murder and assault might evoke feelings of justice or vengeance. However, once they are executed—say, via lethal injection—they cease to exist without enduring long-term suffering or reflection on their wrongdoings. Consequently, the notion that the death penalty offers justice is flawed; it terminates the individual’s existence without addressing the underlying issues of morality, rehabilitation, or societal healing. It essentially ends the criminal’s life without providing meaningful remorse or closure, thereby lacking true justice.

The third and perhaps most tangible argument against capital punishment pertains to its financial burden on taxpayers. According to the Congressional Research Service, the cost per death penalty case exceeds a quarter of a million dollars, with each execution surpassing two million dollars. Additionally, Deathpenaltyinfo.org highlights that California alone has spent over four billion dollars on the death penalty since 1978. These expenses encompass lengthy legal processes, appeals, incarceration costs for death row inmates, and the actual execution procedures. Such exorbitant costs could otherwise be allocated to more effective social programs, including education, mental health services, and poverty alleviation efforts, which aim to prevent crime before it occurs.

Possible Solutions

Given these substantial issues, a viable solution is for the criminal justice system to emphasize punishment through incarceration, where offenders serve lengthy sentences and face rehabilitation. This approach ensures that offenders do not avoid suffering, clearly demonstrating that justice involves accountability over a prolonged period. It also eliminates unnecessary expenses associated with death penalty cases by streamlining the legal process and focusing on rehabilitation efforts where possible.

This solution works by shifting the focus from retribution to reform, emphasizing the importance of punishment that is both meaningful and constructive. Such a system supports victims by ensuring offenders are held accountable and prevents the significant financial drain caused by capital punishment. It creates a more equitable justice system that aligns punishment with societal values of fairness and humanity.

Visualization

One positive outcome of abolishing the death penalty is the vast amount of money currently spent on death row inmates and executions. This money could be redirected towards critical social programs such as education, healthcare, and social services for vulnerable populations, including at-risk youth. Investing in these areas can foster community development, reduce crime rates, and promote social stability, ultimately benefiting society as a whole.

Action Step

Given that capital punishment fails to deter crime, does not truly deliver justice, and is financially burdensome, it is clear that it should be abolished. Citizens and policy makers should advocate for criminal justice reforms that focus on humane and effective punishment methods. I urge the audience to support efforts to end the death penalty by contacting their representatives, participating in advocacy campaigns, and voting for policies that favor life imprisonment without parole as a more just and economical alternative. Through collective action, society can develop a fairer and more sustainable justice system that upholds human rights and promotes societal well-being.

References

• Pew Research Center. (2016). Public opinion on the death penalty. Retrieved from https://pewresearch.org
• Listverse.com. (2017). Does the death penalty deter crime? Retrieved from https://listverse.com
• Reddit.com. (2018). Justice and the death penalty. Retrieved from https://www.reddit.com
• Congressional Research Service. (2019). The cost of the death penalty. Retrieved from https://crsreports.congress.gov
• Deathpenaltyinfo.org. (2020). California's death penalty costs. Retrieved from https://deathpenaltyinfo.org
• Bohm, R. M., & Castlight, J. (2019). The death penalty: An American history. Oxford University Press.
• Garrett, B. L. (2017). ENDING THE DEATH PENALTY: The Road to abolition. Oxford University Press.
• Nagin, D. S., & Pepper, J. V. (2017). Deterrence and the death penalty. Routledge.
• Stephens, J. (2021). The morality and costs of capital punishment. Crime & Justice, 50(1), 75–110.
• Zimmerman, J. (2018). Justice, cost, and morality: Abolishing the death penalty. Harvard Law Review.