Capital punishment refers to the legal infliction that a court gives of death as a penalty for the violation of the criminal law. Death penalty started long ago in the history of England, when people died due to petty mistakes of pick pocketing. In the old times, the death sentence accomplishment was through crucifixion, drowning, impaling, stoning, beheading and burning at the stake. However, the capital punishment practiced today is done through the usage of lethal gases or injection of it, hanging, shooting or even electrocution. However, the capital punishment has become the most controversial punishment by law in the recent times.
The Role of the Capital Punishment in Crime Prevention and Reduction
Other forms of the criminal punishment that refers to the corporal punishment are recently getting off judicial systems as people consider them uncivilized as well as unnecessary. Although actions of imprisonment as well as fines have a positive impact on the control of crime, the capital punishment procedure also plays a vital role in terms of crime prevention and reduction. However, about 80 countries in the world have abolished the capital punishment from their judicial systems, claiming that it did not assist in any way in controlling criminal activities, but was an act of brutality and less concern on human life. Most of the countries that abolished this form of punishment included the developed countries. On the other hand, most of those that retained the capital punishment included the developing countries. The United States and the federal governments consider and provide the capital punishment; thus, from 50 to 75 capital punishments occur in the United States each year.
The capital punishment is a morally just action that fits the world today. It becomes an expression of the society’s moral outrage towards the offensive conducts. The capital punishment acts as a deterrent for illegal activities as it asks citizens of a country to follow legal activities, rather than engage themselves in criminal activities that would finally lead them to the death penalty. It is an argument that there is a moral justice to kill someone, who caused the murder of another person. The capital punishment becomes crucial in cases of serious crimes of murder, since it is unethical to let a murderer live after having taken someone’s life, as well.
In addition, the capital punishment is a prevention of the criminal activities in the world today. There is a statistics in the countries that hold death sentences against criminals that shows that the capital punishment plays an essential part in reducing the number of crimes in these countries. People are more unlikely to engage in criminal activities, since they would receive the total death sentence. The capital punishment prevents murders and is an act of just retribution. It involves the execution of the criminals of a state by the state itself for committing the crimes considered very serious against the law of the land. The death penalty not only lowers the rate of murder cases, but is also considered to have a substantial value, since the retribution is alone a better reason for handling the death sentences.
Benefits of the Capital Punishment
There is a support for the death penalty in the United States that rose to an average rate of 80 percent. The figure is a little smaller as compared to that of Canada, whereby the support for the death penalty or the capital punishment stands at 72 percent for citizens, who are above the age of 18 years. From the observation of the many criminal activities that happen in many states of the world, it is clear that the world is a dark place to live in, and each person requires taking much caution as he or she lives in it. The truth of the matter of crimes that happen around the world reveals itself in the news today through watching, reading newspapers of the current happenings, as well as articles and journals written by profound people of the world. There is a commitment of crimes like murder, child molestation activities as well as kidnapping. There was a social contact theorist, known as Thomas Hobbes, who had a belief that life is always a state of nature and is a war of all the people against all. He had a belief that the rule as well as regulations were substantially impertinent in the process of maintaining the order in the entire society of the world. Therefore, the capital punishment is crucial in maintaining the law and order in societies.
Another significant aspect of the capital punishment is the fact that it helps people to follow the law. All the countries in the world have laws that they set as the milestones for their development procedures. Therefore, when an individual fails to abide by the law, he or she is jeopardizing the life values of the entire country. For example, when Harris and Klebold committed the murder of 15 students in Columbine High School, they went against the law and disobeyed it. Therefore, they had no life values in society; hence, there was a need to lower their life values too. It is clear from this illustration that the life of the victim becomes most significant than that of the criminal. Therefore, the capital punishment is an illustration that countries undertaking it have their laws and regulations that need to be followed.
In addition, the capital punishment assists in reducing of the number of people in the prisons who have serious criminal records. The prison systems do not work effectively with so much congestion. There will be no need to keep those criminals, who have performed brutal crimes through killing an innocent citizen, staying in the prison or escape the real judgment through a parole. These murderers should face a death penalty in order to give way for other petty crimes. Furthermore, the prison facilities are currently favorable with enough food and shelter, as well as much freedom to the prisoners. There is no sense in allowing criminals, who kill innocent citizens, to remain in the prisons. This is an act of less concern to the human life.
Another benefit of the capital punishment is that it reduces the costs and expenses in the prisons. However, many people that oppose the capital punishment argue that it spends far more than the normal imprisonment of criminals. This is not the reality as they try to defend themselves and prove the issue extravagant. The criminal justice reform firm confirmed that the life that goes without parole, in a case would spend 1.2 million dollars to 3.6 dollars from the economy more than the capital punishment expenses. On the other hand, a capital punishment lawyer, Wesley, suggested that for a prisoner, more than 50,000 dollars account for the expenses each year. Therefore, money could otherwise be in the economy, developing other sectors such as education and public health. Thus, criminals found committing the capital offences should face the capital punishment to avoid these expenses and instead put the money in the development of other sectors of the economy.
Moreover, the capital punishment enhances the safety of the rest of the prisoners or inmates. People, who commit murder and other capital offences, are violent and have the uncertainty of the future; hence, there is a need to separate them from other inmates. There may occur volatile situations, whereby they may become a threat to the other prisoners; therefore, the need arises to separate them from other prisoners. These people may undergo a depression due to the current situations that will follow them, hence, may be a threat to the lives of others. Therefore, it would be of much importance to eradicate criminals with serious capital offences through the capital punishment.
In addition, the capital punishment that is against the imprisonment of criminals makes sure that they are completely taken away from the society; hence, there will be parole that would see them out of prison. In recent times, there have been many prisoners, who were set free through parole and had continuously engaged in criminal activities, even when they were out of the prison. Therefore, criminals, who undergo the capital punishment, will never have a chance of getting back to the society and become a threat to the security of a nation. In other words, the capital punishment eradicates the uncertainty of benefits that come with the imprisonment.
However, there are many arguments by critics that the capital punishment is a brutal act and shows less value for human life. They also argue that there is no way that the capital punishment helps in reducing the number of crimes in a country that performs it. The fact remains that the critics are wrong, even as they try to give the figures of the costs of capital punishment procedures. Some of the human right activists regard the death penalties as violation of the people’s right to live. On the contrary, the capital punishment values the life of the victim more than the life of the murderer, who is a substantial threat to anyone in the society. According to many opinions, the capital punishment is not a violation of the right of an individual to live, but an attempt to eradicate those criminals, who perform capital offences, as well as those, who may continue performing the capital offences, after having returned to the society.
In conclusion, the capital punishment is of paramount importance to countries that apply it in the actions of jurisdictions. The significance revolves around the moral perspective of actions, since it is morally right to kill those who murders other innocent people. There are also the expenses aspects, whereby the capital punishment will reduce the amount that is being spent during the imprisonment procedures, since it makes use of little amounts. The capital punishment will also assist in deterring the crimes in the society since most of the people will fear to commit capital offences, bearing in their minds that they would lead to death. Therefore, the capital punishment plays a crucial role in the prevention as well as control of capital offences and criminal activities. Clearly, the application of the death penalty as a punishment will enhance order in the world.