Capital punishment is a difficult topic for many people because many question whether or not it is ethical to kill a convicted criminal. To critically analyze whether it is ethical or not, I will look at the issue using a utilitarian approach because to get a good understanding of this topic we need to look at how the decision will impact us in the future. The utilitarian approach will help us examine the issue and see what some of the consequences are related to the issue of capital punishment. For years, capital punishment has been used against criminals and continues to be used today, but lately this type of punishment has been questioned due to the ethical issue. On the one hand, those who oppose the death penalty make a very strong point, in this, there have been several cases where the so-called criminal was actually a case of mistaken identity and wrongful conviction. They also believe that the threat of the death penalty is ultimately not a deterrent to criminal behavior. People will commit crimes regardless of the death penalty. Criminal behavior is often committed with the feeling of not being caught. So, essentially, they have no reason to fear the death penalty. On the other side of the debate are those who believe the death penalty is a deterrent. Most criminals know that if they are caught they will be sent to prison. However, other than being sent to prison, there are no other repercussions for committing a crime. They argue that if a person were presented with the possibility of the death penalty, they would most likely think twice about their actions and realize that there are more risks than simply middle of paper... ...pleasure with a minimal amount of pain would be to continue using capital punishment. With the therapeutic aspect of closure for victims, it provides the necessary outcome for victims to be able to overcome the situation. Consequences For the victim, or their family, they may come to a place of closure knowing that the trauma they just experienced will no longer be an issue. However, family members would have to deal with the consequences of the death penalty. They would also have to grieve and deal with the trauma they have suffered, but it would be much harder to move forward knowing that the convicted criminal is still alive. Family members of the convicted criminal to be executed will be shocked by the outcome, but would most likely be shocked by the fact that their loved one was involved in the first place..