Death Penalty

Summary:

·       128 countries have abolished the death penalty while 69 still have it.

·       A study showed fewer than 6% of those on death row are actually executed.

·       Those in favor of the death penalty tend to support the crime control model

·       Those in opposition tend to favor the due process model of crime control

·       The author then gives us a historical review of the death penalty in America

·       The death penalty came to America by way of Great Britain.

·       Favor for the death penalty hovers around 70% historically

·       The author then gives us states about how many have been executed and then addresses the issue of why it takes so long to impose the death penalty.

·       Interestingly, you are more likely to receive the death penalty if your victim was white. So it’s not really about the race of the offender as it is the race of the victim.

·       A sentence to death is disproportionate among minorities and women alike.

·       The author then lists 8  possible reasons to as why the use of the death penalty has decreased

·       In closing the author mentions that one limitation of the death penalty debate is that policy makers lack a comprehensive body of research about the death penalty and whether or not there are any benefits for the costs.

Reflection:

Personally I am in favor of the death penalty as my team and I successfully debated about in class. I favor it for two main reasons: 1. It serves as a final punishment for those who kill while in prison for life or at least for a long time. Without the death penalty how do we deter and/or punish those who kill while in prison? 2.  The lengthy appeals process helps to ensure that someone is not wrongfully convicted. I personally think that life in prison is a harsher punishment when you consider that people are living much longer these days, I could not imagine siting in a cell for 50 years I would probably try to commit suicide anyways.

Unlike the book any many suggest, I do not favor the death penalty in order to get back at the offender or to “punish” them. If anything it seems to me likes putting someone to death as opposed to keeping them locked up for 10s of years seems to be more humane.