Thursday, December 6, 2007

Mediation

Is the Death Penalty a Necessary Action?

The death penalty in the United States is the imposition by a court of law of a punishment requiring the execution of a convicted criminal by the state for crimes known as capital crimes. The use of capital punishment has existed since early times and has continued to be regarded by many people as an appropriate punishment. Its form has evolved from a town-wide hanging to what is now most often a lethal injection. Murder, the usual reason to impose capital punishment, is one of the most serious crimes that can be committed, and proponents believe the only way such a crime can be appropriately redressed is with an equal penalty. The original research conducted in this essay supported capital punishment in all murder situations. However, after considerable research and mediation it has been agreed that capital punishment should only be used in certain situations.

In order to reach a compromise on the imposition of capital punishment, it is necessary to weigh all of the pertinent arguments on both sides of the issue. Death penalty proponents present compelling reasons as to why capital punishment is appropriate – the punishment should be commensurate with the crime; it should serve as a deterrent to others against future crimes; it is based on fundamental religious principles; and it is economically beneficial to the government and the taxpayers (Robinson). The punishment should suit the crime in order that our society and our system of justice may be maintained. Sentencing an individual to life in prison does not adequately redress the seriousness or the enormity of the crime of murder or acknowledge the value our society places on the protection of human life.

Opponents of this position argue that it is inherently wrong for the government to engage in murder itself in order to punish individuals who have committed murder. Opponents believe that capital punishment is in fact immoral and inhumane and is counter to the very foundations of our society. They strongly believe that the imposition of life in prison for capital crimes is the appropriate and ultimate punishment that should be imposed. They also show evidence of the cost of capital punishment being more expensive than the cost of sentencing one to life in prison.

One of the primary arguments raised by opponents is that if a person who may have been convicted of a crime and had the death penalty imposed, is later determined to have been innocent, the execution cannot be undone. Many people believe that sentencing a criminal to life in prison without parole is simply more moral. The inhumanity of capital punishment and its effect on society are cited as reasons why the death penalty should not be imposed.

The opponents of capital punishment even believe that the actual methods used to carry out these sentences are in and of themselves inhumane. The argument that a lethal injection is an inhumane way to kill a criminal would not be true if the drugs were researched further. Currently, the drug combination does not always work properly all of the time. Instead of numbing the victim and killing quickly, the drugs often simply paralyze the victim so that he or she cannot speak or show pain and they often die much slower than they should. Being electrocuted is a painful death as well. Sometimes the victim does not die the first time and has to be shocked again (deathpenaltyinfo). These instances show how inhumane the death penalty can be. If the technology was researched further and was more effective, then the death penalty could be considered more humane. Often it takes time for the lethal injection to take effect because of its being poorly administered by prison staff. Fortunately, doctors have recently been administering the lethal injection so that the process proceeds properly (Stillman). Many doctors support the death penalty and are not against administering a lethal injection to murderers. More involvement by trained doctors would allow for proper implementation of procedures.

Those favoring capital punishment also cite numerous instances where convicts have escaped and committed further murders and therefore believe that life without parole is not the answer. There are numerous instances where escaped convicts have murdered again. Prison escapes by convicted murderers have occurred over the years. Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, a married couple in the 1930’s, were thought to have committed a combined 13 murders throughout 5 escapes (FBI History). Granted that prisons are much more secure today than in the 1930’s, it is still a fact that no prison can fully secure an inmate. In 2001, seven convicts escaped and murdered on Christmas Eve in Irving, Texas. The escapees were able to break out of the maximum-security Connally Unit State Prison near Karnes City, Texas. They left a note reading, “you haven’t heard the last of us (Crilley).” Incidents such as these show that the death penalty is necessary at times because of the chance that these murderers can be out in public at any time to harm society. Proponents strongly believe that society must be protected from the possibility of a convicted murderer posing a further threat to society and that once a convicted murderer is executed, it is argued, there is obviously no chance that he will escape prison or win an appeal on a technicality and be released to kill again.

With proper prison security, it would eliminate the possibility that convicted criminals could escape and that, in fact, the incidence of prisoners escaping and continuing to commit capital crimes such as murder is relatively small and does not present a true threat to society. A criminal sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole and housed in a maximum-security prison would not present any real threat to society.

One of the most critical debates over capital punishment centers around the issue as to whether or not it is a deterrent. The death penalty serves to deter criminals from killing because it presents them with the real possibility of the ultimate punishment (Robinson). An article in the New York Times on November 18, 2007, reports that, “according to roughly a dozen recent studies, executions save lives. For each inmate put to death, the studies say, 3 to 18 murders are prevented (Liptak).” The New York Times, a historically liberal newspaper, reporting this is surprising. Cass R. Sunstein, a law professor at the University of Chicago, said in the article, “the evidence on whether it has a significant deterrent effect seems sufficiently plausible that the moral issue becomes a difficult one…I did shift from being against the death penalty to thinking that if it has a significant deterrent effect it’s probably justified.” There are other arguments that also support execution as a deterrent. Michael Smerconish of the Huffington Post explains, “Roy Adler and Michael Summers, both professors at Pepperdine University, have recently analyzed the relationship between the number of U.S. executions by year and the number of murders in the year thereafter for 1979-2004…When executions leveled off, the professors found, murders increased. When executions increased, the number of people murdered dropped off. In a year-by-year analysis, Adler and Summers found that each execution was associated with 74 fewer murders the following year.” These two arguments for deterrence are backed up by considerable data. Opponents argue that often there is not a convincing amount of evidence or there is fabricated evidence to backup deterrent statistics.

These two articles are amongst a limited number that can be found supporting capital punishment as a deterrent. Opponents note that there are numerous articles that show studies of capital punishment not being proven to be a deterrent. These are often more convincing. These studies also usually show that life in prison proves to be an equal deterrent. Capital Punishment refers to Roger Hood’s statement that econometric analysis has not shown enough evidence to prove that capital punishment provides more deterrence than alternative penalties, such as life in prison (Hodgkinson). The debate as to whether it is a deterrent or not has not truly been proven by either side. There are convincing statistics and studies that could induce someone of either persuasion to believe in or to be against capital punishment as a deterrent.

For the most part, critics find arguments on both sides of the deterrence issue lacking real data. William J Bowers and Glenn L Pierce have written a critique of Professor Isaac Ehrlich’s research on capital punishment, concluding that he failed to produce any reliable evidence that the death penalty deters murderers (Bowers). They went on to say, “his data are inadequate for the purposes of his analysis and he misapplies the highly sophisticated statistical techniques he employs.” However, criticism goes both ways. In the New York Times article, scholars and even the author criticized the studies done for not producing enough conclusive evidence. Clearly, this demonstrates that deterrence can be argued either way and is not a convincing factor in the debate for or against capital punishment.

Proponents of capital punishment also want their opponents to realize that the Bible recognizes the death penalty as appropriate for a variety of crimes, including murder. Bible passages are still used to promote the retaining of capital punishment for murderers (Robinson). This goes against the religious arguments that many people use to oppose the death penalty. If the Bible states that the death penalty is necessary at times, then arguably there is little basis for people to oppose it on religious grounds. Executing convicted murderers when the circumstances warrant is the only appropriate way to render justice. Retribution is necessary when justice has been violated, and to fulfill it, the offender’s life may have to be taken. The primary biblical texts that refer to this argument are Genesis 9:5-6 and Romans 13:1-4, both of which emphasize this retributive aspect (Owens). Since many religious texts as well as laws from ancient times support capital punishment, it would seem appropriate. Some crimes are simply so atrocious that execution is the only reasonable response.

Death penalty advocates also argue that the penalty actually benefits the state and therefore the taxpayers economically. Once a convicted murderer is executed, they believe, there are no further maintenance costs as opposed to the enormous cost to the government for the housing, the health care, and the guarding of a criminal who is serving life in prison. Opponents of the death penalty aptly argue that this is not the case. As to the economic benefits to the government and the taxpayers, most statistics actually support life in prison over the death penalty. It is much more costly for society to attempt to impose the death penalty as a punishment than to impose a sentence of life in prison. In death penalty cases, on average, it costs about $470,000 in court and legal costs at the trial level. The appeals for death penalty cases versus other cases can add an additional $100,000. Petitioning these cases through the court system can add $137,000 (deathpenaltyinfo). Opponents argue that the money saved by not imposing the death penalty, but rather imposing life sentences, could be put toward increased prison security and in turn reduce the costs to taxpayers.

Clearly, capital punishment should be enforced only on a case by case basis and dependent on the nature of the crime and special circumstances of each case. Since it has not been absolutely proven as to whether capital punishment acts as a deterrent, it is unknown whether criminals are truly affected by the threat of the death penalty. The cost of the death penalty as well as its inhumane infliction makes it inappropriate to impose in all cases. However, given the fact that society is also safer from criminals without the potential to escape jail or eventually be let out on a technicality, capital punishment should continue to have its place in the justice system but only on a limited and well-founded basis. In certain cases, such as mass killings or when the accused murder is guilty beyond a doubt of a heinous crime, it may be necessary to enforce the death penalty.

Works Cited

Bowers, J William, Glenn L Pierce. “The Illusion of Deterrence in Issac Ehlrich’s Research on

Capital Punishment.” Yale Law Journal 85 (1975): 187-208. Googlescholar. 6 Dec 2007

<http://www.jstor.org/view/00440094/ap030649/03a00040/0>

Crilley, Jeff. “Seven escaped convicts still believed to be in Dallas, Texas, area.” CNN. 2 Jan

2001. 23 Nov 1007. <http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/01/02/texas.escapees.02/>

Death Penalty Information Center. 19 November 2007.
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?did=108

“Famous Cases: Bonnie and Clyde.” FBI History. 10 June 2007. 2 Dec 2007.

http://www.fbi.gov/libref/historic/famcases/clyde/clyde.htm.

Hodgkinson , Peter, William A schabas, eds. Capital Punishment: Strategies for Abolition. New

York: Cambridge University Press., 2004.

Liptak, Adam. “Does Death Penalty Save Lives? A New Debate.” New York Times. 18 Nov

2007, late ed.

Owens, Erik C, John D Carlson, Eric P Elshtain, eds. Religion and the Death Penalty: A Call for

Reckoning. Grand Rapids, MI: Eermans Publishing Co, 2004.

Robinson, Bruce A. “Capital Punishment – The Death Penalty.” Religious Tolerance. 1 Jan.

2006. Ontario Consultants of Religious Tolerance. 14 Nov. 2007. <http://www.religioustolerance.org/executb.htm>

Smerconish, Michael. “Death Penalty Deters.” Huffington Post. 11 Nov 2007. 14 Nov 2007.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-smerconish/death-penalty-deters_b_72075.html

Stillman, Jim. “We’ve come a long way? New and Nicer Ways to Kill the Bad Guys.” The

People’s Media Company. 18 May 2007. 23 Nov 2007.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/244395/weve_come_a_long_way_new_and_nicer.html




Wednesday, December 5, 2007

You Tube Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpDPRDlesFE&NR=1
This video is a CNN news report about lethal injection drugs failing. Reporters talk to an inmate set to be killed by lethal injection, and he talks about his fears.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNB7NOEU3IM

This video goes step by step through the electrocution process.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81d1SecKFoI
This video is an interview of a warren at a prison where lethal injections are given. The reporter asks questions about doctors being present, and the man tells about how long it takes the average person to die.

You Tube Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpDPRDlesFE&NR=1
This video is a CNN news report about lethal injection drugs failing. Reporters talk to an inmate set to be killed by lethal injection, and he talks about his fears.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNB7NOEU3IM

This video goes step by step through the electrocution process.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81d1SecKFoI
This video is an interview of a warren at a prison where lethal injections are given. The reporter asks questions about doctors being present, and the man tells about how long it takes the average person to die.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Compromise Brief

It is evident that the conclusion of whether Capital Punishment should be inflicted is dependent on the case. The death penalty is known as extremely expensive because of the numerous appeals and law aspects and it can be referred to as inhumane. However, certain instances when the murderer has committed a heinous crime of mass killings or even if the murderer is just guilty without a doubt, the death penalty is necessary.

Since the Bible upholds the death penalty for a variety of crimes, including murder, no one should feel guilty for what is necessary (Robinson). If the Bible states that the death penalty is necessary at times, then there is little basis for people to oppose it on religious grounds. Executing convicted murderers when the circumstances warrant it the only appropriate way to render justice. Some crimes are too atrocious that execution is the only reasonable response.

It is much more costly to execute someone with the death penalty than to have that person spend the rest of his or her life in jail. In death penalty cases on average according to deathpenaltyinfo.org, it costs about $470,000 extra at the trial level. The appeals for death penalty cases versus other cases can add $100,000. Petitioning these cases can add $137,000. The money saved by not trying death penalty cases could be put to higher security in prisons.

The other reason it was agreed that capital punishment may be necessary is recidivism or escape from prison to murder again. Murder and escaping prison has existed since the dawn of time. Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, a married couple in the 1930’s, were thought to have committed a combine 13 murders throughout 5 escapes (FBI History). Granted that security prisons are much more adept today than in the 1930’s, it is still a well-known fact that no prison is capable of securing an inmate positively. In 2001, seven convicts escaped and murdered on Christmas Eve in Irving Texas. The escapees were able to break out of the maximum-security Connally Unit State Prison near Karnes City, Texas. The convicts left a note reading, “You haven’t heard the last of us (Crilley).” Incidents such as this make our country an unsafe place. Without the death penalty there is always a real chance that these murderers can be out in public at any time.

The idea that lethal injection is a humane way to kill a criminal could be true if the drugs were researched further. As of now, the drug combination does not work 100% of the time. Instead of numbing the victim and killing quickly, the drugs simply paralyze so the victim cannot speak or show their pain and kill slowly. Being electrocuted is a painful death as well. Sometimes the victim does not die the first time and has to be shocked again. If the technology was researched further and was determined to be more effective in killing, the death penalty would at least be a little more humane.

The statement that the death penalty is a deterrent to crime is neither true nor false. It is true that the thought of being killed would stop some people from killing, but if someone really wanted to murder they would do it whether they would get in trouble or not. This is not a viable argument for or against the death penalty.

Works Cited

Crilley, Jeff. “Seven escaped convicts still believed to be in Dallas, Texas, area.” CNN. 2 Jan 2001. 23 Nov 1007. <http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/01/02/texas.escapees.02/>

Robinson, Bruce A. “Capital Punishment – The Death Penalty.” Religious Tolerance. 1 Jan. 2006. Ontario Consultants of Religious Tolerance. 14 Nov. 2007. <http://www.religioustolerance.org/executb.htm>

“Famous Cases: Bonnie and Clyde.” FBI History. 10 June 2007. 2 Dec 2007. http://www.fbi.gov/libref/historic/famcases/clyde/clyde.htm.

Death Penalty Information Center. 19 November 2007.
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?did=108


Thursday, November 15, 2007

Capital Punishment Brief

The population that should be informed about capital punishment and its benefits are those people who oppose the death penalty for whatever reason. It is important to educate them on the benefits of capital punishment and how it is safer than sentencing someone to life in prison without parole. Also, it is important to convince the people who have not taken a position in the debate either because they think it is immoral or have some other reason that prevents them from reaching a conclusion.

There are preconceptions and biases that people who oppose the death penalty may hold. One of the main arguments made by opponents is that if a person, who may have been convicted of a crime and had the death penalty imposed, is later determined to have been innocent the execution cannot be undone. Many people believe that sentencing a criminal to life in prison without parole is more moral. Others will also argue religious reasons as to why capital punishment is unnecessary and immoral. The inhumanity of capital punishment and its effect on society are cited as additional reasons why the death penalty should not be used.

The point to be made to readers is that there are sound reasons why capital punishment is an appropriate method of punishment. Murder, the usual reason to enforce capital punishment, is arguably the most serious crime that can be committed, and the only way it can be taken seriously is with an equal penalty. With numerous examples of escaped convicts, life without parole is not the answer. The only true way to protect society from these murderers and to create a deterrent is capital punishment. Once a convicted murderer is executed, there is no chance that he will escape prison or win an appeal on a technicality and be released to kill again (Robinson).

Most people do not realize that the Bible upholds the death penalty for a variety of crimes, including murder. Bible passages are still used to promote the retention of capital punishment for murderers (Robinson). This goes against the religious arguments that people use to oppose the death penalty. If the Bible states that the death penalty is necessary at times, then there is little basis for people to oppose it on religious grounds. Executing convicted murderers when the circumstances warrant is the only appropriate way to render justice. Some crimes are simply so atrocious that execution is the only reasonable response.

In addition, the death penalty benefits the state and the taxpayers economically. Once a convicted murderer is executed, there are no further maintenance costs to the state as opposed to the enormous cost of the housing, the health care, and the guarding of a criminal who is serving life in prison.

The death penalty serves to deter criminals from killing because it presents them with the reality of the ultimate punishment (Robinson). One of the best arguments for the death penalty is deterrence, which is one that will be focused on throughout the article. Deterrence is a negative motivational influence. Basically, criminals are less likely to commit murder because they do not want to receive the death penalty. Michael Smerconish of the Huffington Post explains, “Roy Adler and Michael Summers, both professors at Pepperdine University, have recently analyzed the relationship between the number of U.S. executions by year and the number of murders in the year thereafter for 1979-2004…When executions leveled off, the professors found, murders increased. And when executions increased, the number of people murdered dropped off. In a year-by-year analysis, Adler and Summers found that each execution was associated with 74 fewer murders the following year.” This is an astounding statistic that most anti-death penalty advocates tend to ignore. Many of the arguments by people against capital punishment are fabricated and skewed by improper statistics. The article that will be created will show accurate statistics on deterrence and how it supports the death penalty.

The case will be introduced with an overview of the reasons why capital punishment is necessary in certain cases. It will progress by discussing the most important reason, public safety. After public safety is defined, examples as to when capital punishment was not imposed and criminals escaped or were released will be referenced. Then the preconceptions and reasons why capital punishment should not exist will be stated and argued against. There will be an emphasis on religion, cost, deterrence, the effect on society, and justice. There will also be an emphasis on escaped convicts who have gone on to terrorize after their escape. This will demonstrate how life without parole is not enough to keep society safe from these criminals. The article will then include current debates on capital punishment and why capital punishment is necessary today and in the future. The article will conclude by reiterating how much safer society is when the possibility of capital punishment exists.

"It is by exacting the highest penalty for the taking of human life that we affirm the highest value of human life." (Edward Koch).

Sources:

Robinson, Bruce A. “Capital Punishment – The Death Penalty.” Religious Tolerance. 1 Jan. 2006. Ontario Consultants of Religious Tolerance. 14 Nov. 2007. <http://www.religioustolerance.org/executb.htm>

Smerconish, Michael. “Death Penalty Deters.” Huffington Post. 11 Nov 2007. 14 Nov 2007.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-smerconish/death-penalty-deters_b_72075.html>

Sunday, November 11, 2007

The death penalty is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes. The use of capital punishment developed from the beginning of time and has developed greatly since then. It has evolved from a town-wide hanging to what is now usually a lethal injection. Murder, the usual reason to enforce capital punishment, is one of the most serious crimes that can be committed, and the only way it can be taken seriously is with an equal penalty. Some may argue substituting the death penalty for life in prison without parole is a better idea. However, it is incomprehensible how these people can ignore the numerous times, such as the cases of Dawud Mu'Min and Ted Bundy, where murders escape prison and continue to go on terrorizing killing sprees. The only way to be safe from these murders is capital punishment.