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The cons of the death penalty

Today, in the modern society various significant debates result from the realities of the death penalty. Proponents have established concerns regarding whether execution of people by a state is morally acceptable, and if that is the case then under what condition is the practice justified. Although more than 130 countries globally have abolished the death penalty, it is still a significant part of the modern-day world. Gottschalk (228) opines that an analysis of various studies on the death penalty reveals that contrary to the pro-death penalty beliefs, the practice does not deter crime. Over the years, history has indicated that multiple ways can help a society punish or control criminal offenders that do not involve execution. These measures should be adopted by the community and courts so that to pave the way for the establishment of behavior standards. The death penalty is a polarizing issue, however, despite the occurrence of violent acts criminal offenders should not be put to death.

The existence of the death penalty does not sufficiently reduce the rate of crime in a given society. According to Radelet and Helen (51), critics have pointed out that to some extent capital punishment has failed to deter criminals from breaking the law. This argument has been supported by the fact that some of the criminals committing violent crimes often have mental illness and other related problems. Individuals with such health issues fail to realize the weight and consequences of the death penalty and for that reason; they still go on to break the law. Gottschalk (254) supports this argument by stating that various studies underline that the death penalty does not restraint violence. These studies have also indicated that life without parole stands as the most effective way of deterring violent crimes. These arguments provide a twist that differs with the input of death penalty proponents who argue that it reduces the level of violent crime in a given societal setting.

            There is a possibility for death penalty resulting in the punishment of innocent people resulting in a breach of justice. Legal systems globally have been criticized for being faulty as they are vulnerable to different factors hence resulting in flawed processes. Critics for capital punishment argue that many innocent people have been convicted and sentenced to serve long jail terms for crimes they did not commit (Barkow, 197). Therefore, the practice of the death penalty will result in the execution of innocent people if all convicted individuals are put on death row. It is a reality that legal proceedings in courts will always be susceptible to mistakes; thus, the legalization of the death penalty will not be the most effective form of justice dispensation. This kind of situations questions the appropriateness of legalizing and practicing the death penalty considering in flawed legal system innocent people are used as scapegoats for crimes committed by other individuals.

The execution of the death penalty is costly. It is the view of supporters of the death penalty that feeding inmates sentenced to serve death penalty without parole requires higher government financial allocation (Radelet & Helen, 57). However, critics of the death penalty have contested these arguments. Death penalty involves the use of lethal injection complemented by other corresponding expenses thus making the execution of criminals more expensive. As a result, the death penalty is a burden to taxpayers as the cost of execution...