Death Penalty A Controversial Issue - 2199 Words

Maribel Cervantes English 101A Professor Stern November 10, 2014 Death Penalty When it comes to the topic of the death penalty, most of us will readily agree that it’s a controversial issue. On the one hand, many argue that the death penalty is cost effective. On the other hand, others say that capital punishment deters crime. In my own view, I don’t believe that the death penalty is cost effective or deters crime; capital punishment should not be given as a punishment for criminals who have committed first degree murder In my judgment the death penalty doesn’t make much of a difference we haven’t seen any crime lowered in the states where it is executed, many argue that this helps to lower crime, but the reality is different. Another†¦show more content†¦Even if all post-conviction proceeding (appeals) were abolished the death penalty would still be more expensive than alternative sentences.† (AIO). I would point out that in states where the death penalty is executed such as Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, and many more there is an statistic also found in the AIO that says the following â€Å"Using conservative rough projections, the commission estimates the annual cost of the present system ($137 million per year), the present system after implementation of the reforms ($232.7 million per year) and a system which imposes a maximum penalty of lifetime incarceration instead of the death penalty (11.5 million).† This show the different sides of the death penalty is less expensive to have a criminal in jail rather than sentencing him to death, all the money that is going to be spent on the case, can be used for much greater issues that need to be resolved. Many people that are pro the death penalty can argue that why do we have to have a criminal that murdered an innocent, in jail where they will be getting privileges that they don’t deserve, when we have people who work hard every day and are not able to have the necessary privileges due to insufficient resources. In a sense I can agree with this thought, but what really comes to my mind is that If I was ever put in a situation, where one of my family members was murdered by a criminal I would rather