Execution Methods That Come With Being Put On The Death...

Execution Methods That Come With Being Put On The Death...
In this essay I will be talking about the different types of execution methods that come with being
put on the death penalty. My paper would consists of how these execution were brought out ,
created, failed and brought back to replace other execution that now are at risk of being abolished
from the system because of the lack of resources and also health risk to the public. I was a very
amazed by the outcome of certain methods because I wouldn 't of thought it would be very effective
on the human body seeing the amount of trauma each execution had to effect the body. I feel as if
my paper is a source of information that would help someone who has a question on what type of
execution are there and also what type of procedures the prison has to got through to prep each
execution. with my paper you 'll know the history behind every execution there a history that played
in major event that was known. Through this essay you 'll consume vast amount of information
about interesting facts that you can apply to list that 's if you want to major in a field like a
correctional depending on the state you live in you 'll possibly be in a execution. Lastly I want the
readers to enjoy the great facts and also the great sources and the vast amount of details I had to
explain when it came to all five execution method when it comes to the death penalty. Do you know
the different types of punishments that comes with the death penalty? Do you know what effects
these punishments can
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

Exploratory Paper on Death Penalty
Death Penalty: Is China worst executor due to the morality? Samo Valuch ENG 290 Miles White
Explanatory paper November 20th, 2011 The death penalty or in other words capital punishment is a
form of execution used for a long time. It is a form of punishment that was and still is used by
several countries for various types of crimes for hundreds of years. However the death penalty has
become a very debatable and confronting issue for last decades due to the fact of people having
different opinions on this issue. In some countries it is considered to be a part of the judicial system,
while ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He tries to raise and show the importance of the death penalty issue. Within his article he refers to a
research institution called Amnesty International. According to their research, the evidence show
that in year 2010, the death penalty was used in 23 countries.( The Atlantic, 2011) United States
ranked in top five with the number of 46 executed prisoners, Iran placed second with number of 252
executed prisoners, and China ranked first, executing thousands of prisoners.( The Atlantic, 2011)
However there is no exact evidence to the Chinese execution numbers. The Chinese government
keeps it in secret. Even when I searched the Amnesty International report of death penalty, their
report show similar numbers that I found in Max Fishers article, however the numbers about the
Chinese executions are not shown due to the fact of being hidden by Chinese government.
According to report, "the worst offending countries are Iran with at least 388 executions, Iraq with at
least 120, Saudi Arabia with at least 69 and the USA with about 52 executions." (Amnesty
International, 2009) These numbers are still quite high due to the fact that a general trend toward
abolition of the death penalty has increased and more countries have abolished death penalty. I was
little curious, if I can find any more about the numbers of Chinese execution cases. I found an article
in BBC news, written by Chris

Capital Punishment Around the World: Does it Protect Us...
This paper will examine the methods of capital punishment. It will evaluate the effective ways to
deter crime and other means of reasonable punishment of the offenders.
The history of our world is filled with countless controversies that have sparked arguments amongst
people. Debates ranging from human rights to abortion provoke disputes among many countries.
The most contested opposition between people is unquestionably capital punishment. Capital
punishment was widely applied in ancient times throughout the world. We have been using the
principle of capital punishment since almost 18th Century BC, possibly even before that. While
some people argue that it is immoral and against human rights, others see it as a perfect opportunity
to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The 7th Century Draconian Code of Athens and the 5th Century Roman Law of the Twelve Tables
gave specific instructions on how to penalize an offender. Although it was considered a severe
punishment at that time, the practice of capital punishment quickly caught on and spread to the rest
of the world. (http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/meso/code.htm; http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/part–i–
history–death–penalty#TheDeathPenaltyinAmerica) Following Babylon's first attempts to establish
capital punishment, several other countries began to adopt these measures. Some major countries
that implemented these practices into their society include but are not limited to China, Egypt,
Japan, Syria, and the USA. To them, it seemed to be an effective way to discipline and deter future
criminals. Other countries, however, such as France, Portugal, and Australia, accepted these policies
but soon were against it, claiming it was unethical and wrong. The entire world was soon at ends
about the issue, and many were not sure what to believe. One major issue played a great role in
dividing the world–some countries used extreme and harsher methods to correct behavior. The way
an execution was portrayed often affected whether or not someone would be pro or con capital
punishment. (http://www.religioustolerance.org/executh.htm;
http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGACT500122007&lang=e)
Methods of Capital Punishment There are a myriad of procedures

The Death Penalty Should Not Be Legal
The death penalty is one topic that many people have their opinion about. Some say it violates the
eighth amendment, which is ones' right against cruel and unusual punishment. Yes, the eighth
amendment protects that right, but should that right protect the people who take another person's
life? Not only do the people that commit this crime take a persons' life, they had a plan and followed
through with it. That's something people today don't understand, is that the death penalty isn't just
handed out to the people who commit crimes like robbery or assault, the criminals that are put to
death are the people that are heartless murders and wanted to end another person's life. Making the
death penalty legal in every state and used more in ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
After close examination and testing, courts don't decided is a person "most likely" committed
murder in the first degree, the courts come to a decision in criminal court that is when a person is
guilty beyond reasonable doubt which means that there is enough evidence for a person to be
sentenced to death. The courts want to make sure they aren't going to take an innocent person's life.
What's important to know about the death penalty is when it first started, how it's changed, what
other states agree or disagree with it, why it should become legal in all states and used more often,
what crimes cause a person to receive this sentence and what used to cause a person to be put to
death. There are many other topics to be discussed regarding the death penalty and they will be
covered. The death penalty shouldn't be seen as getting back at a murderer, it should be seen as
someone getting what they deserve because a person was killed the way that person wanted them to
go, so they should be executed the way our state sees as they way they want them to go. Murder, in
every degree is taken very serious no matter what the case is, no person should walk away free from
murdering someone if they've done it with all purpose of ending another person's life. Back when
tribal groups would seek revenge on the person who killed someone in their tribe led into what is
called the blood feuds and mostly everyone would died during these feuds. "More

Capital Punishment is State Sanctioned Murder
Capital Punishment is State Sanctioned Murder
Capital punishment is state sanctioned, premeditated murder. It is morally, ethically, and socially
wrong.
Murder is the intentional killing of one person by another. Capital punishment does just that. It takes
the life of one person and uses another, "the executioner," to do it. In the state of Indiana, the warden
of the state prison acts as "the executioner." The killing takes place before the hour of sunrise on a
fixed day. The warden, "executioner," flips a switch that sends electrical current into the body of the
convicted prisoner, thus ending the prisoner's life. What happens during the execution is one ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Capital punishment does not consider the offender's need for rehabilitation. The death of the
condemned person cannot and never will bring back the loss of the victim. Instead it causes pain to a
whole new set of victims. These victims are somehow forgotten by society. Every other Thursday I
visit a man currently on death row. He has a beautiful 2 1/2 year old little boy. When I pick his little
boy up to go see his "daddy" his blue eyes are sparkling with excitement and anticipation. How do
you tell this little boy that his father is about to be killed in an electric chair? How do you comfort a
mother as she sits weeping in the moments before her son's execution? How, I wonder, do these
people feel about the justice that is being served? In my involvement with offenders on death row, I
see the pain of their families as they

Essay on The Liturgy of Humiliation
The 18th century was an incredibly different time, full of corruption and brutality. New France is a
great example of just how brutal this time period was and Peter Moogk's "The Liturgy of
Humiliation, Pain and Death: The Execution of Criminals in New France," is an article that puts the
justice system of New France under a proverbial microscope, analyzing execution and humiliation
techniques used by the government and the Church. It tries to emphasize the influence that religion
and the crown had on criminalization techniques used in New France and just how much control
they obtained through the fear produced by public executions. Moogk
Takes an active, vivid approach to writing that not only leaves the reader slightly ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
The man's neck is then clasped by the grotesque hands of the executioner and he is throttled back
and forth as his last breaths are forced from his body (Moogk, Peter, The liturgy of
Humiliation, Pain and Death: Execution of Criminals in New France, pg. 98.) This is definitely a
deterrent for anyone else to ever even think of attempting a similar crime. Even if a deceased man is
convicted for a crime his cadaver and his memory must accept the corresponding punishment.
Sergeant Henri Begard of Quebec City was involved in a duel and was found dead on the street in
January of 1698. Although He was deceased, Moogk explains that he was found guilty for starting
the duel that led to his own death. The body was to be dragged by a hurdle, face down through the
streets of Quebec City. All of his worldly possessions were confiscated by the crown and his
memory defamed for eternity (Moogk, pg. 97.) These stories were just a few examples of the
excellent situations presented by Moogk and just how well the words create a visual aid, making the
article have that much more of an impact on the reader, as well as help to promote the argument that
is presented. One of Moogk's main focuses of the article seems to be the idea that, contrary to
popular belief, the church and religion in general provided an immense amount of influence on the
perception of crime and how

Capital Punishment Should be Abolished
Capital punishment is the punishment of death for a crime given by the state. It is used for a variety
of crimes such as murder, drug trafficking and treason. Many countries also have the death penalty
for sexual crimes such as rape, incest and adultery. The lethal injection, the electric chair, hanging
and stoning are all methods of execution used throughout the world. Capital punishment has been
around since ancient times; it was used in ancient Rome, and one of the most famous people to be
crucified was Jesus Christ. Capital punishment is now illegal in many countries, like the United
Kingdom, France and Germany, but it is also legal in many other countries such as China and the
USA. There is a large debate on whether or not capital ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Joanna Yeates was an architect who was only 25 years old when she was murdered. Her murderer,
Vincent Tabak, was described by Yeates' family as not showing any remorse for his actions, and her
family released a statement that said "For us, it is with regret that capital punishment is not a
possible option for his sentence." They wanted justice to be served for Joanna, and believed this
would only be possible if her murderer received the death penalty. However, because it is illegal in
the UK, Tabak received a punishment of being jailed for life for at least 20 years. Thirdly, capital
punishment is believed to be morally right as there is no risk of a prisoner escaping if they are
sentenced to death. When dangerous prisoners escape, the lives of nearby citizens are put in danger;
this wouldn't be the case if the prisoner received the death penalty. On 17 September 2012, 131
inmates escaped from a Mexican prison. Many of these inmates were highly dangerous, and the
lives of nearby people were put in danger. If capital punishment were legal in Mexico, some of these
inmates may have received the death penalty, not escaped and therefore not put anyone in danger.
On the other hand, many believe the death penalty should remain illegal in Britain and be made
illegal all over the world because there is no proof to support the theory that it acts as a deterrent.
The murder rate in death penalty states in the USA is higher than the

The Cellmate
"The Cellmate" by Crystal Arbogast "The Cellmate" is a text by Crystal Arbogast, and the story is
set in a small town called Whitesburg Kentucky in the USA. The story takes place in the summer of
1925, and includes a protagonist and two important supporting characters. The title obliviously
indicates that the story will have something to do with a cellmate; therefore we can say that the title
is some sort of foreshadowing. Crystal Arbogast has used the third person limited as point of view,
and furthermore her style of writing is quite detailed. Some of the themes in this short story are
prejudice, death penalty or the fact that there has to be a co–existence between the good and the bad
in the world. The plot is about Andy, a man who ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
There will always be a day after tomorrow. Additionally, the opening tells us that Andy sees
Whitesburg Kentucky as "truly God's country", whereas, the ending shows us humanity at its worst
and best. Andy represents the goodwill in humans, and takes on the burden of a young man's last
wish, for no other reason than feeling sorry for Lloyd. However there will always be people like the
sheriff and Lloyd's mother, and these are the people who most likely are unaware to the pleasure of
helping others or the touching joy of sunrises and sunsets. There are three characters that stood out
the most, and those are the protagonist Andy Sturgil and the two supporting characters, the Sheriff
and Lloyd. Andy Sturgil is an interesting character, because he is dynamic. In the opening we learn
that he brews his own liquor, and the fact that the Sheriff is onto him, makes Andy look like a
carefree and chancy man. On the other hand, he is the one in the story that shows empathy and
compassion towards the "killer" (Lloyd), Andy is truly a goodhearted man. Men do not show
emotions, however the story portrayed some quiet feelings. However, perhaps the most interesting
character is Lloyd, caused by his role in this short story. Lloyd gives the impression of having a
child mentality and it appears as he is non–violent, and for this reason I find it hard to believe that
he could have killed that woman, without

The Issue Of Capital Punishment
Rough Draft Essay Gaven D. Crosby Pennsylvania College of Technology In this paper, I will write
on the topic of capital punishment, more specifically what to do if someone has been wrongfully
executed. I will speak about what circumstances I feel should warrant a case be reopened and how to
make it right, if it is determined that someone has been wrongfully put to death for a crime they did
not commit. I will also discuss reparations for the families of the wrongfully executed. I will also
discuss who I feel should be handling these types of cases. Have you ever heard about someone
being wrongfully executed? You probably haven't. It doesn't happen often and if it does, it is usually
not highly publicized. There have ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Some examples of wrongful execution cases are Leo Jones, Timothy Evans, Claude Jones, Larry
Griffin, David Spence, and these are just a few. All of these people were put to death because of
either hastiness, lack of technology, lack of will to find the truth, corruption and politics, or general
human error. While only the defendant was killed in these cases, it hurt many others. The parents of
the convicted, the spouses of the convicted, the children of the convicted, the friends of the
convicted and in all the reputation of the family of the convicted. This is why we need to ensure that
we have 100% accuracy and know all of the facts before putting someone to death. While I do feel
that we need to put a lot of effort into ensuring accuracy prior to death, I do not feel as though the
same amount should be applied to cases after execution. I believe that if we make sure we are
convicting the right person before we execute them, then we shouldn't have to put as much effort
into re–opening cases of the executed. I do however feel that there are certain cases that warrant a
case be re–opened. I feel that cases where there is a suspicion that the wrong person was executed,
should be opened. To elaborate on that if police are ever unsure that the correct person was
executed, there case needs to be re–opened. This can include cases where new evidence is
discovered; cases where

The Abolishment of Capital Punishment Essays
The Abolishment of Capital Punishment
Capital punishment has been part of the criminal justice system since the earliest of times. But
opponents have argued that the death penalty is racist, economically unjustified, and in violation of
the United States Constitution as "...cruel and unusual punishment" ("Chronology"). However, today
much of the debate over capital punishment is about whether it is morally right to sentence a person
who has committed a serious crime to death. This paper will address the moral issues in the
controversy over whether capital punishment should be abolished.
The death penalty has been part of most of the world's justice system since the beginning of
civilization. The Hammed code stated, "an eye for and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The laws were stricter in the past; a person could be executed for things such as stealing or being
accused of being a witch. The ancient Hebrews inflicted death on any person found guilty of
denying the true God or cursing their parents ("Background"). For centuries, England punished by
death those found guilty of pickpocketing and petty theft ("Background").
In 1845, the founding of the American Society for the Abolition of Capital Punishment gave
movement to a nationwide anti–death–penalty campaign ("Background"). But this abolition
movement did not reach peak strength until the end of the century. Between 1897 and 1917, 10
states repealed death penalty statutes, influenced in part by the reformist sentiments of the
progressives ("Background"). During this period, executions occurred far more frequently than they
do today ("Background"). Capital punishment has been a continued controversy in the public
opinion forum, in state legislatures, and most recently in the courts. In 1972, the case of Furman vs.
Georgia involving capital punishment reached the US Supreme Court. The Court decided that
capital punishment would violated the Eighth Amendments provision "forbidding cruel and unusual
punishment" ("Chronology"). By this decision, death sentences all over the country were set aside.
But, four years later, the Supreme Court held in Gregg v. Georgia that under the states' new two–
stage trial system,

The Cost of High Imprisonment Rates in the United States...
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics there are currently 2.4 million people in federal and
state prison in the United States, that equals out to 1 out of every 100 American adults. This places
the United States at number one in the world for its incarceration rate. The US has 5% of the worlds
population but 245% of the worlds prisoners. In addition to this there are 4.8 million adults on
probation of parole and 70,792 juveniles in juvenile detention. In 2008 the breakdown for adults
under correctional control was as follows: one out of 18 men, one in 89 women, one in 11 African–
Americans (9.2 percent), one in 27 Latinos (3.7 percent), and one in 45 Caucasians (2.2 percent).
Since 1980 the prison population has quadrupled in part ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Colorado prohibits them from becoming dentists, engineers, nurses, pharmacists, physicians, or real
estate agents. In addition most inmates, when released on parole are required to return to the county
where he or she lived in the past. This mean even if inmates want to move away and start over they
can't and are sent back to the same neighborhoods and influences they came from and most likely
contributed to their delinquency. Several studies have shown that incarceration increases crime
rather than deterring it. Sociolgist Joan Moore explained that since prisons are dangerous places
most new inmates seek protection by joining a gang. When inmates are released back in to society
they are still loyal to the gang and commit more crimes. She was quoted as saying, "In California I
don't think gangs would continue to exist as they are without the prison scene."
Having a parent in jail also has a significant impact on children. Half of all men were the primary
source of income for their children. Stats show that 1.1 million men behind bars are fathers and
120,000 women behind bars are mothers, that equals out to about 1 in every 28 children have a
parent current in prison or jail. The Economic Mobility ProJect estimates that two factors influenced
by parental incarceration have a direct impact on a child's future employment status, these two
factors are family income and the child's

Is Capital Punishment Right or Wrong?
Is Capital Punishment Right or Wrong? One might say capital punishment is morally wrong and
inhumane; I strongly disagree with this statement. The crimes committed by prisoners such as
multiple aggravated murders, serial rapists, and brutal child molestations is malicious and cold–
hearted. These actions deserve like punishments in return. People who do those things have no
purpose of being part of mainstream society. Bringing justice and closure to the victim's family,
deterrence of crime, and prison population reduction are reasons why capital punishment is
necessary. Death penalty opponents will argue capital punishment is a form of revenge. This is no
where near the truth. Fredrick Romano said in a case where Steven Oken ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
In rebuttal, opposition would say the amount crimes decreases is not at all significant. This could not
be farther from the truth. Numerous studies have shown that "between three to eighteen lives would
be saved by execution of each convicted killer" (Tanner). Saving those that many lives is worth the
execution of one, no doubt about it. Putting the innocent people at risk is a high price to pay for
protecting a criminal from punishment they deserve. These pieces of evidence back up the fact that
the death penalty ultimately provides better public safety. As well as holding offenders responsible
for the crimes they committed, and not by any other judgement. Martin Luther King, Jr. expressed
the idea in which we "judge not by the color of skin, but by the content of their character". Capital
punishment is an effective way to tell possible lawbreakers these crimes will not be tolerated and
will be punished to the harshest extent. The prison crowding in the states is off the roof; California
has a total of 150,000 currently incarcerated. This is causing an major effect on the prison health
care systems, the prisoners, and the policemen on duty. The conditions were so bad they actually
deemed them unconstitutional and also stated they "caused one unnecessary death a week"
(Montopoli,

Speech In Favor Capital Punishment
Speech In Favour Of Capital Punishment
Capital Punishment is the lawful infliction of death and has been used in Britain since the 5the
century. It was not until 1964 that capital punishment was abolished and this has been described by
many historians as Britain's worst decision in over 500 years.
Along with these Historians, I also believe that our country was much better off with the death
penalty as a punishment for sick and twisted people, murderers, rapists and peadophiles. Did you
know for instance that in 2003 there were 1048 murders and 172 attributed to one man. . . Harold
Shipman. Compare this to 1963 when the death penalty was used as an active deterant to murder,
how many? 300. Three hundred murders compared to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
I hate to bore you with the statistics again but it is true that the threat of a hard punishment is enough
to scare without having to carry it out. In the Isle of Man, there was a punishment up until 1975
called birching, a public beating for any crime. The crime rate in the isle of man for 17 years in a
row? Less than 2%. A few minor crimes in 17 years. Birching was abolished and now the crime rate
in the Isle of Man is sky high, just like the rest of the UK. Proof that if the punishment is severe
enough, there wont be a crime to start with.
So will Britain ever restore capital punishment? In a survey of 2000 UK residents 72% would like it
re instated. Despite what the government tells us we live in a society of ever rising serious crime and
wether we like it or not, something needs to be done. And harder sentencing is not enough. We need
a real deterrent, Capital Punishment is the answer to our prayers. Hanging was my family's business
for over 14 years and we were honored to protect our country and perhaps in advertantly save lives.
I know for a fact that if hanging was re– instated as the quick and painless punishment to kill, i
would gladly pull the lever.
I am as sure as I can be that capital punishment is the answer. The mandatory life sentence is just not
enough. It fails, in my view to distinguish between really awful crimes and those crimes, whilst still
murder, are more understandable. Ask yourself, is it right that a serial rapist

A Hanging and A Tell-Tale Heart
Within a short story, there is usually an obstacle that the main character has to persevere through.
Between the characters of the guard from George Orwell's "A Hanging" and the servant from Edgar
Allen Poe's "A Tell–Tale Heart", they both experience the act of taking another person's life. The
guard from "A Hanging" works at a prison in Burma where felons await execution. His job is to lead
the convicted men to their doom and makes sure everything goes routinely and swift. While the
servant from "A Tell–Tale Heart" is a psychopathic man who lets his obsession over his boss's
glasseye lead him to plot and carry out his death. Throughout both stories, the protagonists reach a
moment when they need to take part in the organized killings ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
As shown, the guard finds it hard to accept the justifications for killing. He sees life as something
precious and feels that even if the option to end someone's life is there, using it would be inhumane.
On the other hand, in the story of "The Tell–Tale Heart" it is clearly shows that the servant has no
regard for life. He states that "whenever [the eye] fell upon me, my blood ran cold" (Poe 1). This
"very gradually" (Poe 1) led him to the point where he "made up [his] mind to take the life of the old
man, and thus rid [himself] of the eye forever" (Poe 1). This alone displays that the servant
considers life as something that is simply disposable because he sees one flaw in the old man. He
feels that the only way to be able to be satisfied is to get rid of what is bothering him. When it comes
to both of these characters, their views on apply death are completely different. The guard sees that
there is something wrong with ending the life ofsomeone who is completely healthy, while the
servant feels that life is something that could be cut short and ended without a second though.
Finally, both protagonists differ in the way they react to the deaths. For the prison guard as soon as
the killing took place "an enormous relief had come upon [them] now that the job was done"
(Orwell 34–35). The killing causes such a burden on him and the rest of the staff because it was
their duty as guards, they never have any say as to if they could spare the prisoner.

Anti-Death Penalty Essay
Anti–Death Penalty
History: The death penalty is not a new idea in our world. Its origins date back 3,700 years to the
Babylonian civilization, where it was prescribed for a variety of crimes (Kronenwetter p.10). It was
also greatly used in the Greek and Roman empires. In ancient Roman and Mosaic Law they believed
in the rule of "eye for and eye." The most famous executions of the past included Socrates and Jesus
(Wilson p.13). It continued into England during the Middle Ages and then to the American colonies
where it exist still today. In the colonies, death was a punishment for crimes of murder, arson, and
perjury. Although today the death penalty is used for murder.
Common ways of execution in the past where ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Georgia, (408 U.S. 238). This case was the first time the Supreme Court ruled against the death
penalty (http://www.time.com/time/magagzine/archive/1994/940523.crime.html). The rule was a
vote of 5 to 4 by the jury. "The dissenting Justices argued that the courts had no right to challenge
legislative judgment on the effectiveness and justice of punishments. The majority however held
that it was not the actual death penalty that was cruel and unusual punishment, but rather the judicial
process, which determined who would receive the death penalty sentence. This process violates the
Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment. They decided some factors should be considered before giving a
criminal this sentences such as a separate trial for sentencing, the viciousness of the crime, and
environment factors like the criminal's background"
(http://www.time.com/time/magagzine/archive/1994/940523.crime.html). Due to the way this case
was done it created three options for the use of the death penalty. The three options where,
mandatory death sentences for certain crimes, development of standardized guidelines for juries and
outright abolition (http://www2.law.cornell.edu/cgi–bin/foliocgi.exe/historic/query=
[group+.../pageitems=[body]).
This was a stop to the death penalty until the case of Gregg Vs. Georgia, (428 U.S. 153). In this case
the Georgia Supreme Court reviewed the rights of constitution and how the

Essay on Death Penalty
Death Penalty – Herrera vs Collins
The Supreme Court addressed the constitutionality of executing someone who claimed actual
innocence in Herrera v. Collins (506 U.S. 390 (1993)). Although the Court left open the possibility
that the Constitution bars the execution of someone who conclusively demonstrates that he or she is
actually innocent, the Court noted that such cases would be very rare. The Court held that, in the
absence of other constitutional violations, new evidence of innocence is no reason for federal courts
to order a new trial. The Court also held that an innocent inmate could seek to prevent his execution
through the clemency process, which, historically, has been "the 'fail safe' in our justice system."
Herrera was not ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Since 1994, support for the death penalty has again declined. Today, 66% of Americans support the
death penalty in theory. However, public support for the death penalty drops to around 50 % when
voters are offered the alternative of life without parole. (See also, DPIC's report, Sentencing for
Life: American's Embrace Alternatives to the Death Penatly)
Religion
In the 1970s, the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), representing more then 10 million
conservative Christians and 47 denominations, and the Moral Majority, were among the Christian
groups supporting the death penalty. NAE's successor, the Christian Coalition, also supports the
death penalty. Today, Fundamentalist and Pentecostal churches as well as the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter–day Saints (Mormons) support the death penalty, typically on biblical grounds, specifically
citing the Old Testament. (Bedau, 1997).
Although traditionally also a supporter of capital punishment, the Roman Catholic Church now
oppose the death penalty. In addition, most Protestant denominations, including Baptists,
Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and the United Church of Christ, oppose the
death penalty. During the 1960s, religious activists worked to abolish the death penalty, and continue
to do so today.
In recent years, and in the wake of a recent appeal by Pope John Paul II to end the death

Essay on Compound Pharmacies Manufacturing Lethal Injections
An ethical issue is an issue in which there is no clear right or wrong decision, these types of
decisions are constantly faced in professional workplace. Here one must weight both the benefits
and the consequences of taking the action. These could range from breaking confidentiality to the
morality of the death penalty. In September of 2012, a New England compound pharmacy was
linked to a fungal meningitis outbreak. It was here where methylprednisolone acetate injections
(used to treat arthritis and joint pain) were manufactured and tainted. This injection was distributed
throughout the country, given to many people, who then became ill. After this compound pharmacy
was raided, it was found to have used unsanitary equipment and it failed ... Show more content on
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The person who was to be executed could then be living with a life long impairment. Then the state
would most likely not try to execute the man again, leaving him to suffer for the rest of his life. I
personally believe that Natural Rights do not cover the killing of someone unless it's justified. These
would include self–defense, proper execution of a proven guilty individual, among other reasons.
The Natural Rights Theory would suggest that this person this person has the right to not suffer
when being executed. Even though the likelihood of this person suffering is low, the chance is still
there. Even if one person out of a million suffers even if just temporary, then the Natural Rights
Theory says this is not acceptable. This would have to be something that Governor Nixon would
have to consider. Would he want to be held responsible to allowing a drug with an unknown
background that isn't FDA regulated into his state? This would surely be a decision that would take
deep thought. Even though this is an issue that seems to have no clear–cut answers, I personally
believe that Governor Nixon should error on the side of caution on this case. Granting the say of
execution seems to be the best possible option here until other options could be explored more. A
more viable option would be to create a

Essay about Race and the Death Penalty
The death penalty is one of the most controversial issues on American soil. Blacks are more likely to
face the death penalty than whites in the commission of identical crimes(CNN, 2014). The history of
capital punishment dates back to the days before Christ. The Old Testament adage 'an eye for an eye,
and a tooth for a tooth,' has survived throughout the ages despite the New Testament's rendition of
'thou shall not kill'. Today's American victims endure a more demure of style of cruel and unusual
punishment; death by lethal injection has replaced the barbaric traditions of the past.
Statistics prove that for many years the death penalty has fallen disproportionately on racial
minorities in the United States. For example, since 1930 ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Racial disparity in the criminal justice system is a product of a number of factors ?crime, offenses
such drugs, social and economic disparities, legislative policies, and the use of discretion by the
criminal justice system. Social and economic disparities have faces and many are of color.
African–Americans are more likely than others to have social histories that include poverty,
exposure to neighborhood violence, and exposure to crime–prone role models. For example,
African–American children with no prior admissions to the juvenile justice system were six times
more likely to be incarcerated in a public facility than white children with the same background that
were charged with the same offense. A major study sponsored by the Department of Justice in the
early 1980s noted that juvenile justice system processing appears to be counterproductive, placing
minority children at a disproportionately greater risk of subsequent incarceration (Deadly Statistics:
A Survey of Crime and Punishment, 2000). This writer?s grandmother retired after more than thirty
years as a welfare social worker for Los Angeles County. She has stated on more than occasion that
the government is the main reason that most black men are in jail awaiting the death penalty today.
In the sixties and early seventies, she says that women on welfare were not allowed to have men in
the home, even the father of the children. These fatherless generations of men seem more prone to
crime,

Minors and the Death Penalty
A. Should the death penalty be given to minors? The two groups against this issue, are the religious
and medical groups. They believe they are too young to know what they have done. The medical
groups believe adolescents are less developed than adults and should not be held to the same
standards. . The opposing side, held mostly by state officials, feel if they are old enough to commit
the crime they, old enough to get the punishment, including death.
B. The very first execution of a minor was in1642 with Thomas Graunger in Plymouth Colony,
Massachesetts. In the three–hundred years since that time, a total of approximately 365 persons have
been executed for juvenile crimes, constituting 1.8 percent of roughly twenty–thousand ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
http://www.medill.northwestern.edu/~secure/docket/mt/archives/000800.php The website actually
showed the case of Stanford v. Kentucky which was for the execution of a minor. The majority in
case acknowledged age as a mitigating factor in death sentencing, but, in an opinion written by
Justice Antonin Scalia, said the national climate didn 't rule out the death penalty simply because of
the age of the offender.
G. The Kantian view of death penalty is a retributive view that sees the criminal as a parasite who
has accepted the benefits of a legal system while refusing to pay the price of self–restraint. Such a
person owes the law abiding a debt for he has gained an unfair advantage over them. Punishment is
the means of exacting the debt (in kind) and is a demand for justice––the restoration of a condition
of equality between the law breaker and society. Just punishment is binding and not to be mitigated
by any utilitarian consideration. Kant also believes in "blood guilt" and the necessity for cleansing
criminal actions.
H. This issue is pretty touchy to me, because i could support both side of minor being put to death. I
agree with if they do the crime, they can do the time, but at the same time they are just little kids and
they do not know better. The way I see how this situation can change is that instead of holding the
child responsible for the crime hold the parents in contempt. The reason I say

The Effect of the Death Penalty in Texas
The Effect of the Death Penalty in Texas
Introduction
A lot of heat and controversy surrounds capital punishment in today's society. The death penalty was
built into the Texas justice system in 1835 and has retained most of its strength compared to the rest
of the states. The famous motto "Don't Mess with Texas" stands true when concerning the death
penalty; In Kenneth William's article, "Texas: Tough on Murderers or on Fairness?." Williams states,
"No one promotes this message [Don't Mess with Texas] more than Texas prosecutors with their use
of the death penalty. While the nation as a whole has become somewhat ambivalent about capital
punishment, Texas prosecutors continue to seek death sentences on a regular basis, and the state ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They randomly selected address throughout Texas and sent them a questionnaire filled with
questions such as, "Do you support the death penalty?",–"Should there be a waiting period to ensure
an innocent life is not taken?", and "Do you have confidence in the death penalty system?" Their
research found that the majority of Texans still support the death penalty, yet they have little
confidence in the system. The subjects surveyed expressed concern with the due process in which it
is administered to inmates.
Alternative Research
However, In Morgan Reynolds online article, "Fair and Effective in Texas" on the Heartland
Institute website, she states that she believes the death penalty in Texas does serve as a deterrent.
She states that in Texas the death penalty is saved for the worst criminals who are truly deserving.
She says that crime rates in Texas have fallen nearly sixty percent since the state started using the
sentence for selective crimes in the 1990's. She also states that if there is no death penalty than what
value you are putting on the life of the victim. On the website Waco Trib, Tommy Witherspoon
writes in his article "Pursuit of death penalty slows in McLennan County, Texas", that the amount of
inmates being sentences to death row is dwindling each year in Texas because of the new law
enacting the option of life without parole. Life without parole is becoming popular

Essay on The Death Penalty
Almost all nations in the world either have the death sentence or have had it at one time. It was used
in most cases to punish those who broke the laws or standards that were expected of them. Since the
death penalty wastes tax money, is inhumane, and is largely unnecessary it should be abolished in
every state across the United States. The use of the death penalty puts the United States in the same
category as countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia which are two of the world's worst human rights
violators (Friedman 34). Lauri Friedman quotes, "Executions simply inject more violence into an
already hostile American society." The cost of the Death Penalty is highly expensive. A case to put
someone in jail costs on average two million ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Lynn Pasquerella quotes, "Executing a murderer does not change what has been done nor does it
compensate for the less suffered by the victim and the victim's family." The eighth amendment in
the United States constitution prohibits the cruel and unusual punishment of a person therefore the
death penalty should be prohibited in every state in the United States. Is it right to administer the
death penalty if the crime is not proven justly and in full? There is always a possibility that the death
penalty could be administered to someone who was innocent. Since the death penalty was reinstated
a hundred and thirty nine death row inmates have been exonerated, according to the Death Penalty
Information Center (Overall). In 2009 alone nine death row inmates were exonerated after courts
overturned conviction because of lack of evidence. This ranks the second highest number of
exonerations since the death penalty was reinstated in the United States (Overall). With this stated,
do we know as citizens that every inmate on death row is guilty? Do we wish to persecute an
innocent man or woman and have their family suffer daily from the loss of the family member? No,
we as citizens do not know these things for certain and it would be better to administer life in prison
than to murder an innocent man or woman. Sixty three percent on Gallup Poll say an innocent
person has been executed in the last

Discrimination and Hate Crimes
From what I have identified on hate crimes in my research, the top two motivations for hate crimes
are based on race and sexual orientation, "In 2010's FBI report, of the 7,690 reported incidents, 48. 4
percent of the crimes were racially motivated attacks, with sexual orientation bias coming in second
at 19.1 percent." (DL Chandler,2010) Two of the best examples of these crimes are the James Byrd
and Mathew Shepard cases in 1998. These crimes prompted the enactment of the Hate Crimes
Prevention Act that was signed by President Barack Obama in 2009. Although the crimes are both
very horrific and morbid acts in their own right, they were based on different types of hate racial and
homophobia. The James Byrd Case was racially motivated ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Byrd died after his right arm and head were severed after his body hit a culvert. His body had caught
a sewage drain on the side of the road, resulting in his decapitation." (HRC 2014) Police found parts
of his body all over that three miles of road the suspects were found shortly after the discovery of
his body. CNN reported "All three suspects have prison records, and authorities have said that at
least two have the tattoos of white racist prison gangs. Racist literature also was seized from their
homes." (CNN 1998) These two men were John King (King) and Lawrence Brewer (Brewer)and
later they were found to be active members of white supremacist groups such as Aryan Pride, KKK.
Tattooed on their bodies were riddled with racist and Nazi symbols as well as gang symbols with
well known racist gangs. The third guy, Shawn Berry ( Berry), didn't have the racist background and
was determined not to be racist in court and because of his cooperation as a witness to the crime was
given a lesser sentence. Shawn Berry, was charged with murder and given a life sentence for his part
in the murder; Brewer, and King were both tried on capital murder and were sentenced to the death
penalty. Brewer died by lethal injection in September of 2011, his last words before his execution
were, "I feel no remorse and would do it all over again." (DL Chandler 2012). King is still
exhausting his appeals but is still on death row in Texas. This case is very

Capital Punishment And The Death Penalty
Capital punishment has been around for centuries taking the life of guilty convicts to bring justice to
the people. However, many people see the death penalty as a brutal action which no human should
have to face, guilty or innocent. After the death penalty travelled around the world, it became very
popular in America leading to many Supreme Court cases and protests. Endlessly, people have
argued their viewpoints about whether the death penalty is constitutional in relation to the 8th
amendment which states no "cruel or unusual" punishment. Politicians from every state including
Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, have commented their personal views on the death penalty making it
a very public dispute. Capital punishment is a very popular subject to debate over, and still a very
prominent issue America is facing today. The death penalty has been around since the 18th century
BC, rumored to start by King Hammurabi of Babylon. He once spoke the famous words, "an eye for
an eye", which indicated equal punishments for equal actions. Other countries understood the
wisdom and fairness of his words and adopted the death penalty as their own. The Romans executed
capital punishment in gruesome ways such as, drowning and burning alive. After a few more
centuries, Britain became very pro–death penalty giving it out to crimes such as stealing or cutting
down a tree. Hanging was their main way of execution, and over 100 crimes were eligible to receive
the death penalty. However in the 20th

The Death Penalty: An Appropriate Punishment Essay examples
Capital punishment has been a punitive consequence of multiple societies in many different
countries over the years. The death penalty has been witnessed in many different forms, depending
on the society or culture. It is viewed as an act of justice due to its deeply embedded historical
tradition. Over the centuries, many cultures have used capital punishment because it ensures the
safety of society. Criminals continue to use violence as their way of solving a problem. Capital
punishment deters crime rates more than anything else. The death penalty offers justice with
historical tradition. According to Roger Smith, societies use capital punishment as a consequence for
numerous crimes. "The Babylonian Code of Hammurabi states death as the ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
As Smith mentions in "Prisoners on Death Row," in the west, they were sure to make the executions
very public. The reason for this is because they used these public executions as a scare tactic. Some
cultures used extreme forms of execution. Ancient Rome used treatment like: throwing criminals
from cliffs, torturing criminals to death, feeding them to wild animals and crucifying them. As years
passed, the executions became more heinous. In the Middle Ages, officials executed criminals in the
following ways: public drowning, pulling their bodies apart, and burning them alive. Public
executions continued to occur as the years progressed. During this time, in England and America,
public hangings were the most common form of public death. And during the French revolution the
guillotine was infamous for thousands of beheadings (Smith 17).
In court systems today, courts give the same type of punishment for various crimes. Differing crimes
call for differing punishments. For example, when a child spills milk on the floor, an appropriate
punishment dispensed by the parents would be to have the child clean up his or her mess. The child
then learns consequences for misdeeds because he or she has to correct the problem. The problem in
current society is the laws are too lenient and fail to appropriately punish offenders. Court systems
today become too enmeshed in punishments for felony charges and disregard enforcing appropriate
punishments for misdemeanors.

The Innocence Project
Title Page
Title: The Innocence Project
Author: Naomi Douglas
Date: 9th March 2012
Contents * The Innocence Project Organisation
* Death Row
* Two Cases
* Niamh Gunn
* YouTube, Books
* References
The Innocence Project Organisation:
This Organisation is a non–profit Legal organisation dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted
people through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustices.
The Innocence Project was established in a landmark study by the United States Department of
Justice and the United States Senate in conjunction with the Benjamin N.Cardozo School of Law,
which found that incorrect identification by eyewitnesses was a ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Research shows that the human mind is not like a tape recorder, we neither record events exactly as
we see them, nor recall them like a tape that has been rewound. Instead, witness memory is like any
other evidence at a crime scene; it must be preserved carefully, or it can be contaminated. A case I
would like to mention is the Calvin Willis Case. One night in 1982, three young girls were sleeping
alone in a Shreveport, Louisiana home when a man in cowboy boots came into the house and raped
the oldest girl, who was Ten years old. When police started to investigate the rape, the three girls all
remembered the attack differently. One police report said the Ten year old victim didn't see her
attacker's face. Another report which wasn't introduced at trial said she identified Calvin Willis, who

lived in the neighbourhood. The girl's mother testified at trial that neighbours had mentioned Willis's
name when discussing who might have committed the crime. The victim testified that she was
shown photos and told to pick the man without a full beard. She testified that she didn't pick anyone,
police said she picked Willis. Willis was convicted by a jury and sentenced to life in prison. In 2003,
DNA testing proved Willis' innocence and he was released. He had served nearly Twenty Two years
in prison for a crime he didn't

death penalty
James Felner, author of "Mentally Retarded Don't Belong on Death Row," states that, "A person is
considered mentally retarded if he or she has a significantly sub–average general intellectual
functioning, which generally means recording an IQ score of lower than 70, and exhibiting deficits
in adaptive behavior before the age of 18." According to the American Association on Mental
Retardation, it has three components:
1. significantly sub–average intellectual function
2. accompanying impairments in the adaptive skills of the person
3. manifestation of the disability before the age of 18
How can Americans put someone on death row that is not fully ... Show more content on
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As Americans we should take pride in our country and our citizens, by punishing these special
people not killing them. They did not choose their own mental impairments; therefore, they should
not have these horrible acts of injustice inflected on them.
In many cases, there have been numerous times that mentally ill convicts have been sentenced based
soley on the words that flow from their mouths. It is proven that a retarded person is simply not the
same as other adults. According to Felner, they are child–like in may of their limitations: their
ability to reason and develop skills needed to navigate in the world are permanently stunted. In the
case of Tony Chambers, a black man with an IQ in the 50s and a mental age of 6. According to
religioustolerance.com, he was convicted of raping and murdering a young girl in 1990. Chambers
confessed to the crime and will probably be executed, although no DNA evidence proved that he
was the perpetrator. The confession of a 6 year old would never stand alone in court, but because he
was in the body of an adult, his words were taken seriously and he was put to death.
Many states have moved from these immoral acts, but too many remain. The United States Supreme
Court ruled in 1986 that the 8th Amendment prohibits the execution of insane prisoners. Only 12
states and the federal government in the United States do execute prisoners,

should capital punishment be banned?
Capital punishment is the death penalty given by the government of a country, to people who have
committed hideous crimes like homicide, rape and so on. Death penalty has been a way of punishing
people since ages. Although there are some countries that have abolished death penalty from their
law, there are still many which still practise the act of killing a person for crime. Death penalty is
prevalent in the US, Asian and Middle Eastern countries. Some of the ways of executing criminals
are hanging, shooting, electrocution and giving lethal injections. People have different opinions on
the issue of death penalty given to a convict. While some think that death penalty is necessary for
those who have committed a terrible crime, there are ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Hence, it is best to avoid executing a person. For instance, the controversial Timothy Evans case is
regarded as a major miscarriage of justice, which eventually led to the abolition of capital
punishment in the UK in 1965.
Moreover, capital punishment is not always just and appropriate. Usually, it has been seen that poor
people have to succumb to death penalty as they cannot afford good lawyers to defend their stance.
There are very rare cases of rich people being pronounced a death penalty. Also, an individual from
minority communities are more likely to be given death penalty.
Finally, it is reported that there is no relation between death penalty and crime rate, that is, giving
death penalty does not decrease crime rate in the society. Crimes are prevalent in countries where
death penalty exists and where it has been abolished. Therefore, the deterring factor associated to
capital punishment is heavily questioned by opponents, who claim that life imprisonment is much
better, where the criminals could be made to muse over their crimes for the rest of their lives,
instead of having quick relief from being executed.
Based on the above discussion, the question whether death penalty is a moral or an immoral act in a
cultured society, does not have a definite answer. Whether to give death penalty to a criminal or not,
may depend on his earlier criminal records and the seriousness of the crime he has committed.
Hence,

The History of Capital Punishment Essay
The History of Capital Punishment
Crime has been a plague on society from ancient times to present. In response to this plague, society
has formed structured rules to deal with the perpetrators of crime. A crime can be defined as act that
society's government deems as illegal. Different societies have formed various methods and
standards for evaluating crime and assigning corresponding punishment. What constitutes a crime
has changed throughout the course of history. In ancient times, such extreme actions as the
deliberate killing of another human being for the sake of family honor or religious rite was
considered socially acceptable and therefore not legally wrong. Now, the majority of the modern
world (with perhaps the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
American concepts pertaining to offenders, punishment, and reform was developed after much
careful thought and consideration concerning the example of
English law and its history. Death was formerly the penalty for all felonies in English law. In
practice, the death penalty was rarely applied as widely as the law provided. A variety of procedures
were adopted to mitigate the harshness of the law; therefore, many offenders who committed capital
crimes were pardoned. The conditions for pardon were the offender agreed to be transported to what
were then the American colonies and the benefit of the title of clergy. The benefit of clergy applied
to offenders who were ordained priests (or clerks in Holy Orders) and who were thereby subject to
trial by the church courts rather than by the secular courts. Hence, if an offender could show that he
was ordained he was allowed to go free, and was subject to the possibility of punishment by the
ecclesiastical courts. In the 17th century, the only proof of ordination was literacy, and it became
customary to allow anyone convicted of a felony to escape the death sentence by giving proof of
literacy by reading a verse from Psalm 51. The obvious problem with this test is that most offenders
escaped punishment by simply learning the words by heart.
Capital punishment has been used in the United States since Colonial times.
During this time frame, it was accepted because of

Capital Punishment
Capital Punishment
Murder, a common occurrence in American society, is thought of as a horrible, reprehensible
atrocity. Why then, is it thought of differently when the state government arranges and executes a
human being, the very definition of premeditated murder? Capital punishment has been reviewed
and studied for many years, exposing several inequities and weaknesses, showing the need for the
death penalty to be abolished.
Upon examination, one finds capital punishment to be economically weak and deficient. A common
misconception of the death penalty is that the cost to execute a convicted criminal is cheaper than to
place a convict in prison for life without parole. Due to the United States judicial system, the
process of appeals, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Whatever they need, they can get (Cummings).
In addition to being racially prejudiced, capital punishment places innocent lives at risk. Recently in
Chicago, a black man was released from death row after nearly sixteen years in prison. This man,
Anthony Porter, came within two days of receiving a lethal injection, until the courts finally agreed
hearing on his mental capacity. Porter was very lucky to receive an excellent attorney who managed
to prove that Porter was innocent and led the police to a prisoner in Milwaukee who confessed
(Kile). This shows the importance of the appeal process found in the courts, which serve to protect
the lives of innocent citizens of the United States of America. A writer for The Christian Century
writes, "Porter's case brings to light the very real danger that overzealous prosecutors, sloppy
legal work and poor legal defense teams will send people to their deaths for crimes they didn't
commit," (Kile). If Porter had an equipped defense attorney from the start, he would never
have been to prison and nearly killed. Ryan Cummings of The Economist observed that more crimes
are punishable by execution, more states have adopted the death penalty and the appeals process has
been shortened. The overall expansion of capital punishment endangers innocent lives.
Cumulatively, there is now less time and fewer tools to save innocent men and women

Essay on Medieval Torture
Torture (Latin torquere, "to twist"), in law, infliction of severe bodily pain either as punishment, or
to compel a person to confess to a crime, or to give evidence in a judicial proceeding. Among
primitive peoples, torture has been used as a means of ordeal and to punish captured enemies.
Examination by torture, often called the "question," has been used in many countries as a judicial
method. It involves using instruments to extort evidence from unwilling witnesses. In ancient
Athens, slaves were always examined by torture, and for this reason their evidence was apparently
considered more valuable than that of freemen. A free Athenian could not be examined by this
method, but torture may have been used occasionally in executing ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
It was last used in England in 1640 to compel a confession of treason. By the middle of the 18th
century legal torture was abolished in France, Prussia, Saxony (Sachsen), Austria, and Switzerland.
Under a papal bull issued in 1816 the use of torture was banned in Roman Catholic countries.
Torture in Europe through the Ages The history of torture in Europe may seem at first to be a steady
progression of barbarous tactics, leading from one social purge to the next, but this is not completely
the case. Torture has been used in a progression from primitive methods to the present more modern
styles. It has also developed extensively, both in severity and variety of methods used. But in the
end, torture has gone full circle; modern forms of torture are more like those methods used by
savages than anything in between. Overall, the severity of torture has fluctuated, growing and
receding with the passing of each new time period, but eventually reverting to its original state.
There are several varieties of tortures in general. Until the twentieth century, most forms of torture
that were recognized as such were purely physical in nature. The breaking of bones, manipulation or
mutilation of a person's body, and the application of flames or other implements of punishment were
the main forms of recognized torture. The Wheel was a

Critical Issues in the American Criminal Justice System -...
Critical Issues in the American Criminal Justice System:
Sentencing Decisions and the Death Penalty
Richard W Ramsay
Dr. Allen Lowery
CJ 6624 – Court Administration
December 1, 2010
Abstract
This paper discusses three critical issues in the criminal justice system. It touches on the general
issues of punishment philosophies, sentence decision making, and prison overcrowding and focused
more specifically on the negative effects of each. Highlighted in this informational paper is the
interrelated nature of the issues; each issue affects and is affected by the others. Data and
information has been gathered from the FBI Uniform Crime Report, the Bureau of Justice Statistics,
Amnesty International, the NAACP Legal Defense ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
375) and by using this hedonistic calculus people will refrain from committing crimes. This concept
focuses on the punishment fitting the criminal and on preventing future crimes from occurring. The
three most important factors in effectively deterring a criminal from further crimes are the severity
of the punishment, the certainty of the punishment, and the swiftness of the punishment. If criminal
doesn't believe he will be punished or he feels the punishment is minor in comparison to the crime
or if the punishment is not swift enough, then he/she will not be deterred from committing crimes.
Studies on the effectiveness of deterrence have shown to be inconclusive. The deficient areas of
deterrence are crimes committed in the heat of passions, crimes committed under the influence of
drugs or alcohol, and the massive backlog of cases in the nation's courts (Neubauer & Fradella,
2008). Incapacitation, the removal of the offender from society to prevent them from harming
society further, has been in use since ancient times. The incapacitation may be in the form of exile,
penal colonies, prison, or placement in a mental institution. Regardless of the form, incapacitation
places its focus on the future behavior of the offender and on the characteristics of the offender. It
assumes that since that majority of crime is committed by a small number of criminals, removing
them from society will reduce crime. What this theory does not take in to

We need crime prevention, not the death penalty Essay
We Need Crime Prevention, Not the Death Penalty
For most crimes committed in the United States a fine,
sentence of time in jail or execution is the punishment. However, the
death penalty is the most questionable punishment. Is it morally
right? Is it effective in deterring crime, primarily murders? Weather
or not you agree if it is moral or not, one issue remains. The death
penalty is not an effective way to deter crime.
The death penalty has existed as long as humans have
existed. The quote "an eye for an eye" is found in the Bible. In the
middle ages fines, public humiliation and imprisonment were
appropriate punishments for all crimes, and death penalty for all
murders. Today, Federal law states ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
There have been many comparisons of crime rates of death
penalty states to non– death penalty states. These clearly show that
the death penalty has no effect on the deteration of crime. The
homicide rates in Michigan, Ohio and Illinois rise and fall along with
Wisconsin. Michigan, Ohio and Illinois all have the death penalty.
Wisconsin does not. In 1994, the average murder rate in a death

penalty state of a population of 100,00 was 8.0, for a non–death
penalty state, 4.4. In Canada the homicide rate per 100,000 people
was 3.09 in 1975, this was when they had the death penalty. In 1976
Canada got rid of the death penalty. In 1986 the crime rate decreased
to 2.19 per 100,000 people, the lowest in 15 years. Isn't it odd that
the crime rates were high with the death penalty and low without?
Clearly this shows that the presence of the death penalty has no
effect on the increase or decrease of crime rates. Even with the
death penalty, crime rates continue to rise and fall in the United
States. The number of people on death row in 1967 were in 1972: 200
and in 1997 3,100. Crimes will be committed weather or not death
penalty is a method of punishment.
Many people believe that the death penalty isn't an
effective way to deter crime. "The proposed drug death penalty is not
only barbaric but also foolish: a temper tantrum masquerading as an
act of

Capital Punishment Needs Abolished Essay
Why Capital Punishment Should be Abolished
Unlike popular belief, the death penalty does not act as a deterrent to criminals. As stated by Alfred
Blumstein, "Expert after expert and study after study has shown the lack of correlation
between the treat of the death penalty and the occurrence of violent crimes." (Blumstein 68)
Isaac Ehrlich's study on the limiting effects of capital punishment in America reveals this to the
public. The study spans twenty–five years, from 1957 till 1982, and shows that in the first year the
study was conducted, there were 8060 murders and 6 executions. However, in the last year of the
study there were 22,520 murders committed and only 1 execution performed. (Blumstein 54) This
clearly shows that ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
During this period, the prisoners flesh burns and the body shakes violently from the overdose of
electricity. When it is all over, smoke is often seen coming from the head of the corpse. (Ernest Van
den Haag 135)
Officials often defend this punishment as not being cruel and unusual, but how can they defend the
opinion in the case of John Evans who was executed by electrocution in 1983? According to
witnesses at the scene of the death of Mr. Evans, he was given three charges of electricity over a
period of fourteen minutes. After the first and second charges, Mr. Evans was still conscious and
smoke was coming from all over his body, as a result from his flesh burning. An official at the
prison even tries to stop the execution on account of it being cruel punishment, but the man was
unsuccessful. Witnesses later called the whole incident "a barbaric ritual". (Haag 221)
Another method of execution is the gas chamber; during this procedure a prisoner is put in a closed
chamber and forced to inhale lethal fumes from a sulfuric acid and a cyanide chemical reaction.
(Haag 243) According to a statement given by the U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens
concerning the 1992 execution of Donald Harding, there did not seem to be any civilized aspect of
the gas chamber method of executing

Trial by Fire
[pic] Trial by Fire Did Texas execute an innocent man? by David Grann September 7, 2009 [pic]
Cameron Todd Willingham in his cell on death row, in 1994. He insisted upon his innocence in the
deaths of his children and refused an offer to plead guilty in return for a life sentence. Photograph by
Ken Light. Related Links Audio: Grann on the Texas execution that may change the death penalty
debate. Video: David Grann discusses the flaws of the Cameron Todd Willingham investigation. Ask
the Author: Live chat with Grann Wednesday, September 2 at 3 P.M. E.T. The fire moved quickly
through the house, a one–story wood–frame structure in a working–class neighborhood of
Corsicana, in northeast Texas. Flames ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
According to the medical examiner, they, too, died from smoke inhalation. News of the tragedy,
which took place on December 23, 1991, spread through Corsicana. A small city fifty–five miles
northeast of Waco, it had once been the center of Texas's first oil boom, but many of the wells had
since dried up, and more than a quarter of the city's twenty thousand inhabitants had fallen into
poverty. Several stores along the main street were shuttered, giving the place the feel of an
abandoned outpost. Willingham and his wife, who was twenty–two years old, had virtually no
money. Stacy worked in her brother's bar, called Some Other Place, and Willingham, an unemployed
auto mechanic, had been caring for the kids. The community took up a collection to help the
Willinghams pay for funeral arrangements. Fire investigators, meanwhile, tried to determine the
cause of the blaze. (Willingham gave authorities permission to search the house: "I know we might
not ever know all the answers, but I'd just like to know why my babies were taken from me.")
Douglas Fogg, who was then the assistant fire chief in Corsicana, conducted the initial inspection.
He was tall, with a crew cut, and his voice was raspy from years of inhaling smoke from fires and
cigarettes. He had grown up in Corsicana and, after graduating from high school, in 1963, he had
joined the Navy, serving as a medic in Vietnam, where he was wounded on four occasions.

We Kill People Who Kill People Because Killing People Is...
A society that values life does not intentionally kill people. Capital punishment is a disturbing case
of homicide that has been approved by our government. Practically supporting murder in order to
enforce a solution to the problems being faced by society. Governments round the world constantly
try to validate capital punishment by stating the so called advantages of capital punishment provides
to the people. What they think are the advantages of death penalty would provide to the people.
Capital punishment is an inadequate solution to dealing with a criminal and it should be removed
from our justice system. Capital punishment is supposed to be an instrument of upholding law and
order; discourage criminals and inexpensive compared to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
If a person committed a atrocious crime, then they don't deserve a free pass to die. They should have
to live with the fact that for the rest of their godforsaken life, they will never see outside those prison
doors again. Those criminals don't feel the pain they've inflicted on others. They should have to stay
in their cell for years and years; hoping, wish and praying for the day they can be free and never
getting that opportunity. They should be able to have that hope because hope is paralyzing can will
destroy a person on its own. A two ago, it cost the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
approximately $83 to execute an inmate by lethal injection, the American–Statesman reported last
month. That price has risen to nearly $1,300. That wouldn't seem like much money until it's
multiplied by the total number of convicts on death row in the United States; in Florida alone there
are a total of 403. The death penalty isn't an effective way to prevent or reduce crime, costs a whole
lot more than life in prison. Oddly the death penalty isn't earmarked for the worst crimes, but for the
ones with the worst lawyers. And society just assume that families of victims want the death penalty
enforced. Some are just as against it on moral grounds; even those who do support it have said the
process of the death penalty is more painful for them to handle. Capital punishment is an inadequate

Essay on The Death Penalty Does NOT Reduce Crime
Today's system of capital punishment tolerates many inequalities and injustices. The common
arguments for the death penalty are filled with holes. Imposing the death penalty is expensive and
time consuming. Each year billions of dollars are spent to sentence criminals to death. Perhaps the
most frequently raised argument against capital punishment is that of its cost. Other thoughts on the
death penalty are to turn criminals away from committing violent acts. A just argument against the
death penalty would be that sentencing an individual to death prevents future crimes by other
individuals. However, criminals are not afraid of the death penalty. The chance of a criminal being
sentenced to death is very slim. The number of inmates actually ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
In many cases there are many years in between the sentence and the actual execution. Trial courts
cost and prison costs amassed while awaiting execution, total up to large sums of money.
Additionally, there are costs for prosecution and defense. Comparing the cost of the death penalty to
a life sentence makes the sentence of life imprisonment sound like a good arrangement. Is it really
worth the hassle and money to kill a criminal, when we can put them away for life for less money
with a great deal more ease? The death penalty needs to be revised and altered so that it is more cost
and time efficient. Supporters of the death penalty claim, is that it is just retribution for someone
who commits the heinous crime of murder. The death penalty assures that the convicted murderer is
being paid back for his or her wrongdoing, and revenge has been accomplished. If the state is
interested in executing convicted killers in order to teach them the high value that society holds for
human life, doing so doesn't accomplish this. Killing a person to show him killing another is wrong
is an injustice in itself (Zimring 76). The archaic view of "an eye for an eye" is expressed often by
supporters of the death penalty, yet this view is not associated with any other crimes. A court would
find it difficult to sentence a rapist to suffer a sentence of rape, as they would have trouble burning
down the house of someone

Under the Black Flag
Cordingly, David. Under The Black Flag: The Romance And The Reality Of Life Among The
Pirates. Harcourt, Inc.: Orlando, FL, 1997.
Part 1: Summary The point of this book was to put aside the myths about pirates and replace them
with facts. There are many fictional myths about pirates and their lives on the sea. Many books and
movies have built pirates up to be romantical heroes instead of the ruthless savages they were, so
this book focuses on separating fact from fiction about life as a pirate. Many plays and books such
as Peter Pan, Treasure Island, and many others have used pirates as characters for many years. Many
of us grew up watching pirates on television, but most of the time in pursuit of entertainment the
truth is ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Although some pirates were not as barbaric as others, they were all criminals who broke the law.
Also included in this book is what happened to pirates when they were caught by the government. If
convicted of piracy it often meant a sure death by hanging. Many times the bodies of pirates were
hung over harbors and around ports as a warning of the consequences of being a pirate. The
government hoped that these drastic measures would help quell the raids of pirates. So this book lets
us know that even though pirates have a romanticized appearance, in all reality they were criminals
who had their own way of life.
Part 2: Personal Analysis This book is awesome. I had the mot fun reading it than I've had in awhile.
This book was very interesting, and it made learning about pirates fun rather than just dumping a lot
of facts on you. It helps the public experience the mentality of the pirate. Even though pirates were
usually oppressed seamen who turned to piracy, they were still ruthless, stone–cold criminals. This
book uses a lot of literature and fabricated stories, but the reason for this is because there is not a lot
of documentation of pirates. Some facts have been changed around while the stories were being
retold, and this is the main point of the book; to get back to the root of who pirates really were. One
example of pirate mentality is when Captain Cary's ship was attacked by

Ted Bundy 's Influence On The Family
Ted Bundy was born on November 24, 1946 in Burlington, Vermont, bringing much disgrace to his
mother and family. Bundy was born out of wed lock, his mother Eleanor Louis Cowell was twenty–
two and was raised in an overly religious household. Cowell moved back home to Philadelphia with
her parents to raise her new son. To hide the fact that he was an illegitimate child, Bundy was raised
to believe his grandparents were his parents and his mother was his sister. They moved soon
thereafter to Tacoma, Washington, where in 1951 Cowell married Johnnie Bundy, a military cook.
Ted then took his stepfathers last name, becoming Ted Bundy. The couple had several children
together and Bundy grow up in what appeared to be a content working–class family. At a young age
Bundy developed an interest in macabre. Around the young age of three, Bundy developed an odd
fascination of knives. His Stepfathers attempts to integrate Bundy into the family were futile and
only furthered him from the rest of his family. Bundy was a very shy child but did extremely well in
school. His shyness resulted in him appearing socially awkward. This followed with him for the rest
of his life though he was able to make friends, he never felt comfortable with them. He would later
come to say "I didn't know what made people want to be friends. I didn't know what made people
attractive to one another. I didn't know what underlay social interactions." Despite his aloofness, his
boyish good looks made him more

jajsa
MacKenna Baker
Dr. Diane Chardon
ENG 101
13 April 2014
Rhetorical Analysis of "Capital Punishment: Society's Self Defense" Capital punishment is not a
topic for the faint of heart. Whether or not society should accept capital punishment is a seriously
difficult discussion to have. No two people have the same amount opinions on capital punishment
and that is why it can be a very hard task to convince people one way or the other. Amber Young's
"Capital Punishment: Society's Self Defense" argument is a powerful one that most definitely could
sway anyone from the opposing party. Her aim is to convince the general public that capital
punishment is acceptable because it is society's self–defense against harmful people. She uses many
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This rhetorical strategy helped push Young's view on capital punishment. Persuading the reader to
see that the death penalty is the only way that this hurt and sadness will end is crucial.
A main rhetorical strategy that was used along with pathos was the real life anecdotes that Young
mentions. Young tells the story of Georgeann, "a pretty .... honor student, a cheerleader, and Daffodil
Princess in high school" or the girl murdered when Ted Bundy escaped from prison, "twelve–year–
old Kimberly Diane Leach". Ted Bundy "dumped her strangled, broken body in an abandoned pig
barn." These are real crimes and stories about real women. Young using these real life anecdotes
reaches out to her readers and grabs their attention. If capital punishment could keep a man like Ted
Bundy, who was real and committed real life horror stories, off of our streets forever then why
wouldn't the public pursue its legality? Also Young brings to her argument some real life anecdotes
from the people on the other side stating that, "In fact, many prisoners would prefer to die than to
languish in prison. While some might still want to read and expand their minds even while their
bodies are confined, for those who are not intellectually or spiritually oriented, life in prison would
be a fate worse than death." When Young states that even the prisoners would rather be dead, that
would persuade those readers who are opposed to the death penalty purely because of the belief that
it is

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