The Death Penalty And Capital Punishment - 2746 Words

The death penalty and capital punishment were brought to America from Britain when America was colonized. This paper will argue why the death penalty is an outdated punishment and that it needs to be banned in America. When analyzing certain key points as crime rates, costs to maintain death row inmates, wrongful convictions, and ethics it becomes evident that the death penalty should be ruled illegal in the United States. Firstly regarding the history of how capital punishment came to America from Britain and the many forms of early execution are discussed. Going over the history of how the death penalty and capital punishment came about helps create a nice foundation on how the United States is moving forward as a country. From first†¦show more content†¦The staggering overpopulation of correctional facilities in the United States is then slightly touched on. As one of the largest factors of the ban of the death penalty, wrongful convictions are looked at. With the example of Henry McCullom, a man from North Carolina who served 30 years on death row before being proven innocent as an example. The ethics of this case and the morality of the United States are then analyzed offering a look into the irresponsibility of the justice system. The justice system also lacks a sense of accountability for these wrongful convictions. Through the analysis of the main points of the death penalty as in crime rates, costs to maintain death row inmates, wrongful convictions, and ethics this paper details the issues that point to the banning of the death penalty in America. This is evident by the decreased crime rates, the money saved by the state, and the moral image of the United States. Introduction to the Death Penalty in America The United States of America has one of the strongest governments in the history of the world. Unfortunately, even the best governments are flawed. Amongst these flaws is a great debate centered on the death penalty (capital punishment). Capital punishment is a sentence given to a criminal charged with a crime so severe it is punishable by their death. Capital punishment can be seen in American history as far back as 1606.