| The Relevance of the Death Penalty | | | | year $75,613.40. To many this may seem like a very |
| The death penalty has long been | | | | large amount for the state to save. Other's will argue |
| the focus of many heated debates. When these | | | | that there is no way to accurately place value on life. |
| issues arise often times people are biased in their | | | | Consider this, if someone was assaulting a child and a |
| choice to support or oppose. Some think that life in | | | | parent was able to save the child but, would have to |
| prison is a better option than ending a convicted | | | | end the aggressor's life; would it be possible for the |
| person's life as repayment for their heinous crimes. | | | | parent to justify to society and the judicial systems |
| Others argue that the death penalty is not an | | | | why they chose not to help due to their inability to |
| adequate deterrent, a violation of the eighth | | | | place value on life? That parent who tried to do the |
| amendment and should be abolished. While addressing | | | | so called right thing would be accused of neglect at |
| the issues of cost, overcrowding of prisons, the | | | | the very least and would be tried in court for their |
| deterrent effect, and legal aspects, one must also | | | | actions or lack thereof. Cost has and always will be a |
| take into account the moral and ethical aspects. All of | | | | factor when deciding whether or not the death |
| these issues must be considered when deciding the | | | | penalty is worth keeping. |
| relevance of the death penalty. | | | | Moral and Ethical Battles |
| Deterrence Effect | | | | "A man tormented by the guilt of murder will be a |
| It has been argued that the death penalty does not | | | | fugitive till death; let no one support him" (Solomon, |
| have a deterrent effect on people committing | | | | 2000). As harsh as this may sound it is found in the |
| heinous crimes. The most commonly addressed | | | | book that this beautiful country was founded on. The |
| approach is that criminals do not take the time to | | | | religious beliefs of people often times consume them |
| think about getting the death penalty when they | | | | and can cause their opinions to be biased. In today's |
| commit the crime. In rebuttal to this approach | | | | society the old ways of "an eye for an eye" are |
| Wesley Lowe states "I wonder how police officers | | | | dwindling and policing our own is no longer legal. One |
| manage to arrest criminals without killing them. When | | | | must trust the judicial system to protect them and |
| a policeman holds a criminal at gunpoint and tells him | | | | sentence criminals accordingly. This is a rather |
| to get on the ground, the criminal will comply fully in | | | | challenging for most people. The victims and the |
| the vast majority of these cases. Why would they | | | | families of victims want a say in the punishment and |
| do that unless they were afraid of the lethal power | | | | sentencing of the convicted. These situations should |
| of the gun?" (Lowe, 2010). Lowe makes a valid point | | | | never be allowed as their judgment is clouded and |
| in his rebuttal, very few criminals are willing to stand | | | | obviously biased. |
| against a weapon that can and will if necessary be | | | | It is the ethical responsibility of the judicial systems |
| fatal. It is human nature to want to preserve one's | | | | to ensure that every person is considered innocent |
| own life. When faced with fear of dying most people | | | | until proven guilty. That being said it is the courts job |
| will make the choice to sustain life. | | | | to review any case where the accused may have |
| Sociologists have argued that the death penalty is | | | | been looked at in a biased matter. In the case of |
| not a deterrent due to the following factors in their | | | | Robert Harlan, a death row inmate in Colorado, his |
| research; states with the death penalty have higher | | | | sentenced was overturned to life in prison without |
| homicide rates, in these states the homicide rates did | | | | parole. This happened because some of the jurors |
| not raise when the abolishment happened in 1972, | | | | carried Bibles into the jury room and made reference |
| and a comparison of homicide rates shortly before | | | | to some Old Testament passages. Harlan kidnapped |
| and after an execution of a death row inmate | | | | and raped a 25 year old woman, Rhonda Maloney, |
| showing no significant changes (Thio, 2009). | | | | for hours alongside the road. Maloney escaped due to |
| However, Lowe states in his research that between | | | | a Good Samaritan, Jacquie Creazzo, slowing down |
| 1965 and 1980, the number of annual murders in the | | | | because she noticed the two cars parked on the side |
| United States skyrocketed from 9,960 to 23,040, a | | | | of the road. Harlan chased Creazzo and his victim |
| 131 percent increase. The murder rate -- homicides | | | | Maloney, releasing gun fire into their car. These gun |
| per 100,000 persons -- doubled from 5.1 to 10.2. So | | | | shots caused Creazzo to crash, as she was struck in |
| the number of murders grew as the number of | | | | the face, spine, and knee. Harlan then grabbed |
| executions shrank (Lowe, 2010). While it is easy to | | | | Maloney from the car dragged her back to his. Seven |
| argue that states with the death penalty have higher | | | | days later Maloney's body was found. Creazzo, the |
| crime rates most abolitionists do not account for all | | | | Good Samaritan, remain paralyzed from Harlan's gun |
| factors contributing to these higher rates. If they | | | | shots (Nicholson, 2005). Some still believe that Harlan |
| compare a state the size of Texas to one the size | | | | deserves to get the death penalty. As unjust as this |
| of Delaware of course it is going to seem as if there | | | | may appear to many, it is the moral and ethical |
| is no deterrent. There are numerous factors that | | | | dilemma that the U.S. Justice system has to face. |
| need to be evaluated in order to accurately debate | | | | Every person has the right to a fair trial, this includes |
| this point. The size, population, unemployment rates, | | | | those that have already been convicted and |
| subdivisions, racial balance, societal, cultural factors, | | | | sentenced. |
| and much more have to be equally evaluated in order | | | | End of the Line |
| to stand strong in the face of opposition. | | | | For many people the death penalty seems like the |
| Legal and Cost Issues | | | | final answer. It will end the criminal's possibility of |
| In a New York Times article the cost and crowding in | | | | continuing to commit heinous crimes; and possibly |
| prisons is discussed. Prosecuting a case in pursuit of | | | | help end the suffering of the families left behind. With |
| the death penalty is costly to say the least. In | | | | this thought in mind, consider the effects the death |
| Maryland a capital punishment case can cost $1.9 | | | | penalty will have on the offender's family. They too |
| million more to seek the death penalty than a case | | | | will be without a loved one and will have to live with |
| seeking life in prison (Urbina, 2009). This is due to the | | | | only the memories that their love one left behind. |
| extensive appeals process that the convicted are | | | | Whether someone believes in the laws of the Bible |
| allowed. It has been argued that if there were | | | | or not each supporter of the death penalty is biased |
| limitations attached to the appeals process that this | | | | in their support. The thought of many supporters is |
| cost would go down dramatically (Lowe, 2010). | | | | that by ending the convicted felons life the world will |
| Appeals are in place to ensure that the convicted has | | | | be rid of one less killer and justice will be served to |
| ample chances to dispute anything that can possibly | | | | the victim's family. While doing this may bring some |
| prove innocence. The appeal process is often times | | | | peace of mind to the community and the families of |
| abused to the bitter end as a stalling tactic, as in the | | | | victims, it solves nothing. Killing one person for their |
| Michael Ross case. Michael Ross had accepted his | | | | crime of killing is in fact the old "eye for an eye" |
| sentence of death and had stopped submitting | | | | mentality. Life in prison without parole may in the end |
| appeals. However, his lawyer and a few other people | | | | cost more and seem like a lighter penalty, but the |
| had suspicions of Michael's state of mind and | | | | convicted is removed from society for life. |
| psychological wellbeing; Michael's execution came to a | | | | |
| halt close to an hour before his lethal injection was to | | | | |
| take place. A temporary stay of execution was | | | | |
| granted until May 11, 2005. After being evaluated | | | | |
| Michael Ross died by lethal injection on May 13, | | | | |
| 2005 (Unknown, 2010). This man made the choice to | | | | |
| stop his appeals and accept his fate; due to this | | | | Works Cited |
| unusual behavior the judge, lawyers, and even prison | | | | Lowe, W. (2010, March 05). Pro Capital Punishment. |
| staff questioned the man's mental stability costing all | | | | Retrieved February 12, 2010, from WeslyLowe.com: |
| involved even more of tax payers' dollars. | | | | Nicholson, K. (2005, December 20). Killer Harlan Gets |
| The amount to house and protect an inmate differs | | | | Life Without Parole. Denver Post , pp. B-01. |
| in each state. In Colorado the average cost for all | | | | Solomon. (2000). Reflecting God Study Bible, Proverbs |
| services provided per inmate a year is $37,806.67. | | | | 28:17. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. |
| Colorado currently has two inmates on death row. | | | | Thio, A. (2009). Controlling Deviance. In A. Thio, |
| Considering the cost to house, feed, protect, and | | | | Sociology A Brief Introduction 7th ed. (pp. 156-158). |
| clothe these two inmates if Colorado was to enforce | | | | San Francisco : Pearson. |
| the sentence of death, the state would save in one | | | | |