Issue: Capital punishment
SupportThe death penalty gives closure to the victim's families who have suffered so much. It is useless in that it doesn't bring the victim back to life. It creates another form of crime deterrent. Justice is better served. We, as a society, have to move away from the "eye for an eye" revenge mentality. It provides a deterrent for prisoners already serving a life sentence. Prisoner parole or escapes can give criminals another chance to kill. It gives prosecutors another bargaining chip. prisons are extremely overcrowded The number of people sentenced to death is negligible vs less serious offenders. Eye For An Eye Yes it does. bring it back???? |
OpposeFinancial costs to taxpayers are several times that of keeping someone in prison for life. The endless appeals and required additional procedures clog our court system. It is barbaric and violates the "cruel and unusual" clause in the Bill of Rights. Other countries would have a more favorable image of America. Some jury members are reluctant to convict if it means putting someone to death. The possibility exists that innocent men and women may be put to death. Methods of modern crime scene science can now effectively eliminate almost all uncertainty. The prisoner's family must suffer from seeing their loved one put to death by the state. It creates sympathy for the monsterous perpetrators of the crimes. The patterns of death penalty application suggests racial and class bias. |