StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Capital Punishment in America - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
This paper "Capital Punishment in America" will begin with the statement that the Judicial System has four classifications of crime; societal protection, rehabilitation, deterrence, and retribution. Societal protection depicts the incarceration of a law offender for a prolonged period…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER97.6% of users find it useful
Capital Punishment in America
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Capital Punishment in America"

Effective Punishment The Judicial System has four classifications of crime; societal protection, rehabilitation, deterrence, and retribution (Macionis, 2011). Societal protection depicts an incarceration of a law offender for a prolonged period. This indicates that societal protection focuses on protecting the whole society from an individual who is deemed a criminal. Rehabilitation depicts the process of restoring an individual to normal ways. As such, rehabilitation assumes that, in cases where an individual is regarded as a member of society who is engaged in criminal acts, such an individual may be trained to become a member who is a better and beneficial person in society. This is because rehabilitation process involves restoring such an individual to his or her initial and acceptable behavior in society, as well as providing moral education to such individuals. Deterrence is regarded as a means of discouraging individuals from engagement in criminal activities. This involves illustrating to offenders that harsh consequences would result for their criminal actions. Such consequences include one being imprisoned. As such, deterrence illustrates that punishment should be provided as a consequence of crime. Since human beings are rational, contemplation of the severity and consequences of punishment would deter people from temptations of engaging in criminal activities. This validates the use of deterrence as the means of punishment for criminal activities in society. On the other hand, retribution indicates an action of repairing or repaying something as price of criminal activities of an individual. Such a punishment makes an individual develop individual responsibility towards social structures and “keep off” criminal activities. As such, the most effective means of deterring crime is retribution. This is because an individual is subject to payment of the criminal acts. This acts as an effective means of making an individual not to engage in criminal activities. This type of punishment is more significant in cases where the individual commits a crime for the first time than in cases of subsequent crimes. The American society believes in punishment as a consequence of criminal activities. This depicts that people are aware of what kind of punishment they may receive in case they engage in criminal activities. Moreover, retribution provides a means of punishment, which depends on the degree of the crime committed by an individual. Therefore, the punishment administered to the criminal is equivalent to the crime committed and the criminal does not receive excessive or less punishment in comparison to the magnitude of the crime committed. However, in situations where an individual is engaged in multiple crimes and retribution does not prove effective. Such an individual should be subjected to rehabilitation form of punishment. This is because this form of punishment allows effective cross-examination of the psychological needs and reactions of an individual, which could be the factors, which makes such an individual to engage in criminal activities. After such a cross-examination, an individual is guided under a controlled environment, which allows consistent monitoring of behavior of an individual. This leads to a change in the conduct of an individual in society. Furthermore, rehabilitation provides an opportunity of offering moral education to an individual who is engaged in criminal activities. This may also include provision of vocation training, which equips an individual with skills, which would keep such an individual from engagement in criminal activities, in society. Deterrence is not an effective means of punishment since it leads to the development of fear among individuals, which impacts the decision-making process of individuals in society (Lund, 2002). As such, using deterrence as a form of punishment would create an American society, which is composed of an element of fear. On the same note, fear would erode the moral nature of a free society if used as the means of punishing criminals. On the other hand, societal protection as a form of punishment would result in the loss of competent and vital individuals in society to the imprisonment chambers. This is because such individuals would have been punished through retribution or rehabilitation, changes their behavior in society, and become eminent members in society. Moreover, societal protection is more of a life sentence than a punishment since the individual is subjected to longer jail terms, which would make such individuals never, return to society. This breaks family ties and grieves the family members of the individual involved in criminal activities. However, judging on the most effective punishment for deterring crime is a critical issue, which is dependent on the nature of crime committed, as well as the historical involvement of an individual in criminal activities. This illustrates that the four methods of determent are effective depending on the nature of crime. However, ranking them in a hierarchy (the most effective means being the first) they would appear as shown in figure 1. This indicates that the preferred most effective punishment of deterring crime is retribution. Consequences of Punishment The society benefits from the consequence of punishment. This is because punishments aid in reducing the rate of crime in society. In addition, some forms of punishment aid in restoring an individual to a vital asset in society. Such forms of punishment include rehabilitation punishment, which aid in restoring the initial nature of an individual prior to criminal acts. The restored individuals contribute significantly towards social developments. Moreover, social members feel that there is safety in their immediate surrounding as a result of punishment of an individual for criminal acts. This brings happiness in a society since individuals believe that they have sufficient protection from criminal activities of a past offender. According to Savelsberg (1998), criminal justice is an effective means restoring society values by dealing with violence in United States society. On the side of criminals, punishments provide considerable benefits to an individual. This occurs since the behavior of an individual is restored to normal and individuals are taught how to respect and adhere to the law the “hard way”. This makes individuals to change their behavior and uphold moral ethics in society, which enhances peaceful coexistence with other members of society. Moreover, individuals are able to conduct effective analysis of the cost versus the reward of punishment as a result of committing a crime. Furthermore, individuals who are punished are able to receive moral education through the punishment that is administered. This contributes significantly towards changing the behavioral attitude of an individual towards criminal acts in society. References Lund, N. (2002). “Capital punishment in America”. Public Interest, (149), 122-126. Retrieved: http://search.proquest.com/docview/222064655?accountid=45049. Macionis, J. (2011). Society: The Basics (11th Ed). ISBN: 1256369578. Prentice Hall. Savelsberg, J. J. (1998). “Controlling violence: Criminal Justice, Society, and Lessons from the US”. Crime, Law and Social Change, 30(2), 185-203. doi: 10.1023/A: 1008389332720 Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Effective Punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/law/1443792-text-of-chapter
(Effective Punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words)
https://studentshare.org/law/1443792-text-of-chapter.
“Effective Punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/law/1443792-text-of-chapter.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Capital Punishment in America

Death Penalty

Billions of Dollars are spent yearly for implementing Capital Punishment in America.... Name of author: Death Penalty Death penalty is a controversial subject not only in america, but also in all over the world.... Death Penalty Death penalty is a controversial not only in america, but also in all over the world.... Many other states in america also released similar reports with respect to the expenses of capital punishment.... Many people believe that death penalty or capital punishment is against all the moral laws existing in this world....
2 Pages (500 words) Research Paper

Trend Paper- Current Trend in America to End Capitol Punishment

There is a clear rising trend against Capital Punishment in America.... With such clear evidence of mounting resistance to capital punishment across America, there can be no argument against the rising trend against the use of Capital Punishment in America (Revenge begins to seem less sweet).... The new Millennium has been marked by a rising trend against the use of capital punishment in the laws and practices of America.... Trend Paper- Current Trend in america to End Capital Punishment Course: Eng 121 Brian Greenbaum Jamie Frush Outline Introduction Historical perspective Changing trends Evidence in the Rising Trend against Capital Punishment Statistics from the Bureau of Justice Statistics Scenario across the American states Arguments for the Removal of Capital Punishment Botched executions Miscarriage of justice Economic costs Arguments for Capital Punishment The Popular Solution Conclusion Introduction Capital punishment or death penalty has been ingrained into the American system from the time that the early immigrants developed into formal communities....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Death penalty and its affects on the economy

We should not forget that in some cases capital punishment is applied to innocent people.... This fact again reminds that capital punishment is unethical and ungrounded.... “Over two-thirds of the states and the federal government have installed an exorbitantly expensive system of capital punishment which has been a failure by any measure of effectiveness.... Texas that is famous for the quantity of capital punishment cases, spend more than $2 million per case!...
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Paper

Death Penalty (Opposing Viewpoint)

The process of God's forgiveness and reinstatement also lessens the effect of death penalty (Capital Punishment in America: A Balanced Examination 2011).... Since medieval times most governments have penalized a broad selection of misdeeds by the use of capital punishment and have also used executions to carry out these penalties.... … The issue of capital punishment has been known to be existent since the medieval times.... The practice of capital punishment is on the other hand supported by many who believe that some acts should carry this punishment so as to set a precedent for the coming generation....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Capital Punishments

In fact, it is claimed that punishment in the form of legalized homicide is not consistent with the values that the punishment seeks to protect.... Name: Instructor: Course: Date: capital punishment capital punishment is an issue that has split America for a long time.... While there are those who favor the use of capital punishment, there are those who push for its abolition.... This latter group is referred to as abolitionists and, according to the abolitionist argument; capital punishment is an act of violence (Fridell 31)....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Capital Punishment

Capital Punishment in America: A balanced examination.... This means that previous death sentences did not have… capital punishment is not necessarily a violation of the eighth amendment because of the abstract scope of the amendment on the cruel and unusual capital punishment capital punishment does not serve as a deterrence and data on history of death penalty sentences supports this.... apital punishment is not necessarily a violation of the eighth amendment because of the abstract scope of the amendment on the cruel and unusual limitation of punishment....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Capital Punishment ____ Justice - Is the Criminal Justice System Fair

Capital Punishment in America: A balanced examination.... hellip; rs such as limited sentencing with capital punishment in cases that require it, and delay in execution and failure to execute explain the failure to deter crimes (Mandery 475). Capital punishment is a violation of the eighth amendment because the amendment is not explicit on 01 July Capital punishment_ Justice- Is the criminal justice system fair?... Factors such as limited sentencing with capital punishment in cases that require it, and delay in execution and failure to execute explain the failure to deter crimes (Mandery 475)....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Death Penalty in the United States

This paper declares that Alez, who is an expert in legal and criminological matters, conducts a critical analysis of Capital Punishment in America.... Alez discusses the history of Capital Punishment in America, the crimes liable to the death penalty, and the legal procedures involved in capital punishment.... n this thought-provoking book, Deger delivers a critical take on capital punishment in the United States and Great Britain.... yon begins his book with a discussion of the history of capital punishment in the United States and then delves into an examination of the reasons the death penalty is a constant in the judicial system of most US states....
4 Pages (1000 words) Assignment
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us