Death Penalty as Contemporary Moral Problem - Essay Example

A good percentage of death row inmates are likely to have been charged unfairly and therefore death penalty denies the victims a chance to prove their innocence. Secondly, the state should serve as a good example by not killing. Thirdly, society implicitly runs a greater risk during the death penalty especially when an innocent person is involved. Such executions are usually a cover-up for more serious issues affecting society.

For instance, a human rights activist may be framed for murder and executed during the death penalty. In such an instance, society loses largely. Using utilitarian ideology, it is better to jail murder suspects for life and pay for that cost for the greater good of society and most importantly, to give the victim a chance to prove their innocence. Therefore, it is more rational to opt for a lifetime jail as opposed to the death penalty. Society will pay the price of maintaining the victim in jail but offer a chance to incent victims to prove their innocence. Additionally, and most importantly, it will also deter murder since no one will be willing to spend the rest of their life in jail.