Is The Death Penalty Just And Applied Fairly - Essay Example

Is The Death Penalty Just And Applied Fairly? of Affiliation Death penalty is the punishment that results in death for major crimes like murder and robbery with violence.  Since time in memorial, the death penalty has been an ongoing event for law breakers and has been a controversial issue.  The contest over death penalty has not just begun but has been going on world widely. Death penalty has raised eyebrows, and the major question is that, is it illegal/legal or is it justified as a punishment.

It is not only demoralizing, but it is morally wrong and inhuman as it takes the same steps as to which the offense is being accused of and is facing charges for. Death penalty is an issue that has caused great arguments within the society. This penalty insinuates that a person’s life will be stopped or slowed down by law for offenses committed. The offenses range from murder, terrorism, rape, perjury kidnappings, robbery with violence amongst others. There are factors that form the base of how unjust and fair this penalty is.

They include location, race, social and economic factors and politics also play a major role in this. This penalty is a barbaric act that is unjust and unfairly applied to mankind. Half of the homicide victims are those defined by color. In the 20th century, above 80% of the prisoners that were executed were convicted of killing whites in the United States of America. However, this penalty doesn’t scare, neither stop others from committing crime be it murder, terrorisms among others. Majority of those accused of murder are incapable of hiring an efficient defense since they are not capable of paying either the attorneys with the resources to plead for their cases.

The choice of progress in a case with a death penalty is sometimes politically motivated. Many innocent people have been convicted and put on death row due to lack of solid evidence to crimes they either did or did not commit. Hence advanced technology and sciences such as DNA analysis have helped immensely in reducing convictions of innocent people. Those that persist to support the death punishment have lost confidence in their respective criminal justice system. Currently in the world, executions are performed through lethal injection or electrocution, as a form of punishing murders, terrorists, arsonists and kidnappers.

There are a lot of people who are in opposition to the death penalty, but there are also those who strongly support this verdict. While others feel contrary, some feel that it is merely an eye for an eye, that a criminal should pay for certain felonies with their life. People that support death row do not believe that life incarceration or parole is a realistic punishment. Those that concur with the death sentence believe that the answer to stopping violent behavior and murder is to eliminate the source of trouble in which the criminal is the cause of the crisis.

Since some convicts have killed a number of people including children, they may be sentenced to life imprisonment and perhaps granting parole in the course of the jail term. This is seen as unjust, unreasonable and a sign of impaired judicial system. Despite the fact that the death punishment may seem like justice, the death castigation is a barbaric action which does not apply fairly because there are many people who have been sentenced for crimes they never commited. Death penalty is unwarranted and not applied reasonably to those that commit violent crimes.

The death penalty apart from being depressing it indicates a harsh manifestation of the general public economically, politically, and socially. People in support of the death penalty is opposed to the resolution of stopping the death penalty. It’s more humane to propose and implement life imprisonment, as opposed to the death penalty. Even with the death penalty in action capital offenses still continue to be committed across the world and in countries with this law. It does not aid in reforming and creating appropriate awareness among the convicts and the entire general public.

Life imprisonment does not only give convicts an opportunity to reform but also a second chance to life, hence a possibility of total change in personality and character. References Cromie, J. (2012). The death penalty. Detroit, MI: Greenhaven Press. Friedman,L.S. (2006). The Death penalty. Detroit. Thomson/Gale Press.