The document is a research paper on the death penalty by Daniella Garisto. It begins by explaining Garisto's reasons for choosing this controversial topic. It then provides definitions and background on the death penalty, including jurisdictions where it is legal. Several sections discuss the history and current status of the death penalty in various countries. Both perspectives for and against the death penalty are presented. Methods of execution, costs, racial biases, and risks of executing innocent people are examined. The document concludes by referencing its sources.

1. The Death Penalty
By: Daniella Garisto

2. Introduction
I chose this topic because I wanted to present something original and extremely
controversial. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to present, but once
I figured out my topic was the death penalty, I was excited to learn more about it
myself. When I was choosing my subject, I found it difficult to place the death
penalty under just one of the umbrella topics so I put it under two: the problem of
wellbeing as someone’s life is at risk and the problem of inequality and power as
somebody has the right to say who lives and who dies. Although I do not agree
with the death penalty, I do think that some people deserve it.

3. What is the Death Penalty?
The definition of the death
penalty is:
“A sentence of punishment
by execution” (The Free
Dictionary, 2000)
Also known as capital
punishment

4. Jurisdictions Where the Death
Penalty is Legal
Some States in the U.S.
China
Jamaica
Trinidad and Tobago
Egypt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment#Global_distribution
These are just some examples of countries that still
practice the death penalty. Worldwide there are 58
countries that actively practice this form of punishment.
(Infoplease, 2013)

5. Canadian History of the Death
Penalty
http://forums.canadiancontent.net/canadian-politics/108930-canada-not-onlycountry-dire-2.html
The first attempt to abolish the
death penalty was in 1914
The last executions in Canada
took place on December 11,
1962
The death penalty was
abolished in Canada on July 26,
1976
(Correctional Service Canada,
n.d.)

6. The Death Penalty Today in Canada
Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu said,
“Basically I think that every murderer
should have a rope in his cell and he
can decide on his own life. But I’m
against the death penalty” (February
2012)
62% of Canadians support capital
punishment
The prime minster (Stephen Harper)
expressed his personal support for
limited capital punishment but also
said his government would not
introduce legislation (2012)
http://www.radekaphotography.com/noose.htm

7. International Acceptance of the
Death Penalty
On the website debate.org, 57% of people
agree with the death penalty (2013)
In 1996, 78% of Americans favoured the
death penalty for convicted murderers
According to a recent poll, a majority of
people in the U.K. favoured reintroducing
the death penalty (Cafe, R, 2011)

8. Pro Death Penalty Commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7SUJLd5-a4
The embed is disabled so I cannot add it to the power point. 

9. What Americans Have to Say
Agrees with the Death Penalty
Opposes the Death Penalty
What comes around goes around.
An eye for an eye. You take
someone's life , I take yours. If you
are against the death penalty, think
of this question, "What if someone
has done harm to your family?" I'm
pretty sure your opinion would
change. Everyone has a revengeful
side. It is better to let court handle it
rather than to let the victims carry
out the sentence.
- Anonymous
Killing a murderer only makes
you a murderer just like them. I
think that keeping murderers in
prison for the rest of their lives is
a much better solution. They
can't kill anybody else this way.
Also who are we to take
someone else's life? It just
doesn't make sense to me.
-Anonymous

10. What Americans Have to Say Cont’d
Opposes the Death Penalty
No, the death penalty kills innocent
people. Since 1973, there were 138
death row exonerations in the
United States. That's 138 innocent
people who were mistakenly
sentenced to death in a U.S. Court
room, and later had their convictions
overturned due to further research
in light of new evidence. The fact is:
the death penalty is much more of a
retribution measure than a
preventative measure. There is no
clear cut proof that the death
penalty will prevent people from
killing each other.
- Anonymous
Agrees with the Death Penalty
Show no Mercy! Throwing a man
for life in prison is too expensive.
It’s better if we just executed
them all. For most prisoners,
they would rather die than go to
prison for life which means they
are asking for death. Give them
what they deserve and execute
them. Its best for society.
- Anonymous

11. Methods of Execution
Lethal injection
Electrocution
Gas Chamber
Hanging
Firing Squad

12. Cost of the Death Penalty v.s.
Life in Jail
It costs an average of
$58,351.00 per year - if a
person is in jail for 30
years it costs
approximately
$1,750,530.00
http://sydwalker.info/blog/category/world-politics/sweden/
The cost of
lethal
injection is
$1,300.00
Ministry of justice (n.d.)
Ministry of justice (march, 2012)
http://www.deliberacion.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/

13. Is the Death Penalty or Life in
Prison Worse?
Life in Prison
Death Penalty
Rape and molestation
Physical abuse
Sleep deprivation
Subjected to scientific
experiments
5. Forced into flight clubs
6. Solitary confinement
7. Nutraloaf (all a
person’s dietary needs
into a loaf)
• Called a form of
cruel and unusual
punishment
The
fear
of
the
unknown
1.
2.
3.
4.
Listverse (march 2013)

14. How Many People were Executed
Last Year?
China - 1,718
Iran - 346
The exact number of
people subjected to the
death penalty is unknown
as most countries do not
keep records.
Saudi Arabia - 102
Untied States 37
Pakistan 36
China, Iran, Saudi Arabia,
Pakistan and the United
States, combined, were
responsible for 93% of all
executions.
How many people worldwide are killed by the death penalty each year? (n.d.)

15. Can Children Receive the
Death Penalty?
Democratic Republic of
Congo
Nigeria
Children aged 16 and
over are considered to
be adults for the
purpose of the death
penalty
A person can be
sentenced to the death
penalty when he/she is
responsible for his/her
own actions
Which means people
under the age of 18 can
be executed
Pakistan
Child execution is
illegal but still
practiced
United States of America
The U.S. has the most child
executions prior to 1990
82 children were on death
row in 2002
Some States still practice
child execution
http://personalitycafe.com/art-museum/31542-sad-pictures.html
Saudi Arabia
Children cannot be
sentenced to
execution until the
age of majority
Saudi Arabian law
does not specify
what the age of
majority is so people
under the age of 18
can be put to death
(Amnesty
international,
2002)

16. The Power to Decide
The judge
The jury
A judge or a jury can decide who
receives the death penalty in the
USA but it all depends on the case

17. Racism and
the Death Penalty
African-Americans are 1.7
times more likely be
sentenced to death
African-Americans that
murder Caucasians are 4.3
times more likely to
receive the death penalty
The New York Times (July, 2011)

18. WAIT I’m Innocent!!
Since 1973, 143 people on
death row have been
proven to be innocent
The last person to be
wrongfully convicted was a
man named Reginald
Griffin - he spent 30 years
in prison and was released
October 30, 2013

19. Conclusion

20. References
Death Penalty. (2000) . The Free Dictionary by Farlex. 10 November 2013
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/death+penalty
The Death Penalty Worldwide. (2013). Infoplease. 10 November 2013
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0777460.html
Abolition of the Death Penalty 1976. (n.d.). Csc-scc. November 10, 2013
http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/pblct/rht-drt/08-eng.shtml
Do you support the death penalty? (2013). Debet. November 10, 2013
http://www.debate.org/opinions/do-you-support-the-death- penalty
Café, R. (2011 August, 4). Does the public want the death penalty brought
back?.
BBC News UK. November 13, 2013
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14402195
How much does it cost to keep someone in prison for a year?. (n.d.).
Ministry of justice. 15
November 2013
http://www.justice.govt.nz/publications/publicationsarchived/2002/parole-act-2002/how-much-does-it-cost-to-keep- someone-in-prisonfor-a-year
Safdar K. (march, 2012). Legally killing people has gotten A LOT more
expensive. Ministry
of justice. 15 November 2013
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/30/lethalinjection_n_1391408.html
Children and the death penalty (2002) Amnesty International. 19 November 2013
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ACT50/007/2002/en/9b708ffd- d7c411dd-b4cd-01eb52042454/act500072002en.pdf
How many people worldwide are killed by the death penalty each year? (n.d.) Answers
19 November 2013
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_people_worldwide_are_killed_by_th
e_death_penalty_each_year?#slide3

21. Reference
Gurney M. (February 2012). Bringing back the death penalty a debate worth having. National Post. 19
November 2013
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/02/01/matt-gurney-bringing-back-the-death-penalty-adebate-worth-having/
Smallwood K. (March, 2013). 10 horrifying things done to prisoners behind bars. Listverse. 21 November 2013
http://listverse.com/2013/03/15/10-horrifying-things-done-to-prisoners-behind-bars/
Dow, D. (July 2011). Death Penalty, still racist and arbitrary. The new York Times. November 21, 2013
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/09/opinion/09dow.html?_r=1&
The Innocence List. ( 2013) Death penalty information center. 21 November 2013
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/innocence-list-those-freed-death-row