The death penalty is among the polarizing topics in the United States, with some citizens in favor of it or against it. During the 1930s, the death penalty in the United States was rampant and at the peak with 1,520 offenders executed. In the 21 st century, this number has drastically dropped, with several states opposing the use of the punishment. Between 2000 and 2019, the number of death penalties executed in the United States each year was dropping except in 2009 and 2018 (Corrections, slide 17). Among the death penalty methods used include injection of offenders with lethal poison, lethal gas, electrocution, firing squad, and hanging. In the United States, 29 states, the federal government, together with the military, are in support of the death penalty (Corrections, slide 16). However, 20 states are against punishment. Arguments in support and against the death penalty are attributed to the positive and negative effects of the punishment. For supporters, the death penalty should be practiced because it is a tradition that has been practiced in America for quite some time. Another reason is for retribution. Supporters believe in the principle of revenge; "An eye for an eye." The death penalty is considered an excellent way to minimize financial costs that the government incur on life incarceration, as well as a means of discouraging people from engaging in similar crimes (Welch, 2013, p.168). For the opposing, the death penalty has adverse effects and should not be executed. First, those that argue against the punishment consider it a violation of the contemporary standards of decency. The death penalty is a violation of human rights. They also say that the sentence is irreversible and with finality. Therefore, it is easy to make an error and punish innocent people without the chance to reverse the action (Welch, 2013, p.169). Unlike incarceration, where an offender may be released once found innocent, the death penalty does not allow for amending mistakes of wrong judgments. It is also considered a discriminatory penalty. The death penalty lacks uniformity, with the majority of the victims being minorities, thus being an arbitrary form of punishment.
References
Welch, M. (2013). Corrections: A critical approach . Routledge.
Corrections: The Death Penalty . (PowerPoint Presentation).
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