Capital Punishments Are Justified - Essay Example

Den Haag asserts that capital punishments are justified because criminals deserve ‘an eye for an eye’. He asserts that they serve as an effective deterrent but unfortunately, his assumptions have no concrete proof to support his hypothesis. The concept of punishment has evolved as a justified step in making the criminal realize his act of omission and offense that is committed and also as an attempt to give justice to the person or people against whom it has been committed. The punishments which were supposed to serve as examples for others to refrain from crimes are increasingly becoming ineffectual. The punishment of the offender must indeed serve as a deterrent for others. At the same time, life imprisonment without parole would serve the same purpose but would be more humane and allow the criminal to reform.

John Stuart Mill also argues that capital punishment is the most effective penalty for people who have no regard for other people’s lives. He says that ‘he who violates that right in another forfeit it for himself, and that while no other crime that he can commit deprives him of his right to live, this shall’. But he also agrees that ‘if by an error of justice, an innocent person is put to death, the mistake can never be corrected’. Crime has been committed and therefore the criminal must be paid back in the same manner or something as bad as his crime. In modern times and civilized society, this act of vengeance is neither considered to be morally right nor just. Our actions need to be more thoughtful and effective that conform to the wider perspectives of basic human values that see punishment as a deterrent act that also helps the criminal to reform.

Hugo Adam Bedau asserts that ‘the death penalty is uncivilized in theory and unfair and inequitable in practice’. Punishment for crimes has primarily been implemented for four major reasons: retribution; deterrence; rehabilitation; and social protection. These four factors are significant motivators for effectively combating crimes against society and serve as vital public policy decisions while disbursing justice. The rehabilitation process within the jails and in the community development programs is considered a highly effective means of reforming criminals. Punishing the criminal is important for society because it ensures a safer environment for them to live in. Punishments that are accompanied by rehabilitation programs are important features of social justice because they are designed to root out the cause of the crime and promote a sustainable reform system that rehabilitates the criminal and turns him into a worthy and responsible citizen.