Topic > Why I am against the death penalty

Introduction: The death penalty continues to be a controversial issue and is an issue that will be debated in the United States for many years to come. What is the death penalty? The death penalty is the punishment for executing someone who has committed serious crimes such as murder by gun during a kidnapping and killing a group of people ("death penalty"). Thesis Statement: Should taking the life of another human being for a crime committed by him or her be acceptable? However, ask yourself this question: Wouldn't taking another person's life also result in murder for you? If you kill a criminal for the crimes he or she committed, aren't you as guilty as they are? I believe it, and many other Americans think so too. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Topic Sentence: The high costs that come with capital punishment are a clear disadvantage when considering how these types of cases compare to regular cases. Evidence and Subpoenas: Cases where the death penalty is eliminated are more expensive and take longer to resolve than non-capital cases. “Even when a trial was not necessary, cases in which the death penalty was sought still cost about twice as much as those in which death was not sought.” The added money is due to legal representation, added security for death row, and the costs of carrying out a trial like this. “The additional cost of confining an inmate on death row, compared to maximum security prisons where those sentenced to life without the possibility of parole typically serve their sentences, is $90,000 per year per inmate.” Considering California's current death row (670), this would generate $63.3 million per year. Comment: This is important because it shows concrete statistics on how much these cases cost compared to regular cases and how much money could be saved if the death penalty were eliminated. These statistics show that the thesis of my essay is correct because high costs are one of the reasons against the death penalty. Topic Sentence: Since the death penalty costs states and government so much, is there a way to make better use of the money? ? Evidence and quotes: "Florida, for example, spent between $25 and $50 million more per year on capital cases than it would have spent if all murderers received life without parole." The comparison of how much money the state of Florida alone could save if it gave up capital punishment is astonishing. If this were the amount that could be saved each year in one state, the entire country could benefit from stopping executions for an extended period of time. Comment: It is obvious that the United States could save much more money by eliminating capital punishment rather than retaining it. The national debt is always a hot topic and offers a real solution to part of the problem. This statement proves that my thesis is correct because this article shows what impact (in terms of money) capital punishment is causing by costing American states so much in taxes. The millions that would be saved by abolishing this outdated punishment could be put to much better use, for example, in things like “education, streets, police officers and public safety programs, after-school programs, drug and alcohol treatment, prevention programs of child abuse". , mental health services and services for crime victims and their families”. Topic sentence: The death penalty is considered immoral by those who oppose the death penalty. Kill oneperson who killed someone would undo the crime that had already happened. It sends a message to society to adopt an “eye for an eye” approach that leads to an endless cycle of violence. Second, the death penalty is seen as a violation of the “cruel and unusual” clause of the Bill of Rights. Those who oppose the death penalty consider execution by lethal injection, gas chamber, electric chair, hanging, etc. as barbaric. Third, there are people on death row who were executed and were later found to have been wrongly convicted. There is always room for error in the legal system and there are innocent people sentenced to death. There are also hundreds of people who are cleared of wrongful convictions. Unfortunately, once a person is executed, that person dies. There is no reverse method to cancel the process. Before a prisoner is executed, every effort is made to ensure that no mistakes have been made during the trial. It is believed that the lengthy appeal process allows any errors to be highlighted.' This has led to criminals remaining on death row for years, sometimes receiving last-minute reprieve. Some consider this emotional whiplash to be cruel and unusual punishment because it feels like the person is being taunted with death. Opponents also argue that “the lengthy appeals process costs an excessive amount of money that could be better spent elsewhere.” Death penalty supporters are also appalled by the long time it takes to execute criminals because “family members of murder victims often seek closure with the execution of the person who killed their loved one – they feel that until justice is done, they can't do it." move forward in life” (Friedman 12). Because it takes a long time to execute a person, families and friends cannot grieve and move on with their lives. It is for this reason, the effect capital punishment has on innocent people, that the death penalty should be abolished. An extraordinary range of people beyond just the defendant are negatively impacted by executions. These people include the families and friends of the victims, prison guards working on death row, the executioner, and even members of the jury. All of them are indirectly affected by the death penalty because "they are enduring an event like no other, imminent death." It's like witnessing an accident and feeling extreme guilt and sadness: even if you're not at fault, you keep thinking about what you could have done differently or how you could have helped more. With the death penalty, people feel the same thoughts because they feel responsible for putting a person to death even if they did nothing other than what the court or their job asked of them. In many cases, research has shown that these people shift blame to others to deny their role in sentencing people to death. “Juries blame the judge, the legal system, or the victim's family for their verdicts, judges blame juries, and victims' families blame judges.” Topic sentence: According to death penalty supporters, the death penalty can reduce rates of heinous crimes such as rape and murder. Comment: However, there is no concrete evidence that the death penalty can reduce crime rates. Evidence and Citations: According to Aleck Pabico, during President Estrada's tenure, when the death penalty was still in effect, there was a 15.3% increase in the crime rate from 7,527 crimes in 1998 to 82,528 in 1999. In added to this according to the organization Catholics Against Capital Punishment (CACP) "Most.