Death Penalty - Research Paper Example

Thereby, death penalty ought to remain legal in the United States owing to the deterrence impact it has on the criminals, the justice it extends to the victims of heinous crimes and their families and the way it prevents the hardcore and repeat offenders from committing more crimes. Death penalty is highly useful because it deters the criminals from committing serious and violent crimes (Banner 219). Any thriving and democratic society needs to maintain the rule of law. Peace and the rule of law are necessary to assure the happiness and well being of the common citizens.

It is a practical fact that every society does tend to have individuals and groups who happen to have a violent disposition and a criminal bent of mind. Such people are mostly more prone to committing heinous and rare crimes like murder, rape and acts of aggression. If the courts of law extend soft sentences to such criminals, it is possible that they may commit more serious and rare crimes (Banner 219). This is because a soft sentence tends to give an idea to such criminals that they can commit serious crimes like murder and still can get away with it.

In the absence of death penalty, there will be practically nothing that will deter or scare these criminals away from committing violent crimes. The logic is that “by executing convicted murderers we will deter would-be murderers from killing innocent people (Bedau & Cassell 58) Hence, one important function of the law is to extend such penalties that deter the other criminals from engaging in violent crimes. Thereby, if a murderer is given a death sentence, it sends a message to the other criminals in the society that engaging in violent crimes may cost them their life.

Hence, death penalty is a legal provision that has a strong deterrence potential. It stands to be the most appropriate warning to the criminal elements in any society. It would not be wrong to assume that many criminals fall short of