Capital Punishment, Essay Example

Death penalty is also referred to as capital punishment and it implies to a planned as well as pre-mediated denial of life from an individual by agencies of government as a result of committing a crime. Death penalty is perceived to deny the convict fundamental human rights. Though taken as a punishment in form of delivering justice, it is ultimately cruel, degrading as well as inhuman and it fails to justify the form of torture as well as the cruel treatment associated with this act (MacNair & Stephen, 2008).

Although supporters of death penalty ague that the victims have earned the punishment, it is important to appreciate the sacred nature of life and that two wrongs have never made one right. To execute death penalty is to ne disrespectful to the human life and it is a source of a tragic illusion. Death penalty has been a contentious criminal justice issue and taking the life of a person for any reason is a matter of grave concern (MacNair & Stephen, 2008).

The issue of innocence is the key diving factor behind the use of death penalty. Public opinion has demonstrated a shift away from the use of death penalty due to its disrespect to the human life (MacNair & Stephen, 2008). The convict should be considered as an individual who can be rehabilitated and become a good citizen. Most states have seen the need to replace this form of punishment with other more lenient punishments like life imprisonment and therefore, the use of death penalty as a crime deterrent approach is anticipated to decline in the next 20 years.

Reference

MacNair, R. M., & Stephen, Z., (2008). Consistently Opposing Killing. Westport, CT: Praeger.