Capital Punishment

Capital Punishment 1

Capital Punishment

Capital Punishment 2

Crimes are committed everyday without reasoning. Punishment for crimes such

as murder, rape, or crimes with children, is thought to be unsuitable. Either the

punishment is not enough or believed to be too harsh. Even though there have been

accusations that the death penalty is cruel and inhumane, I strongly agree with the

death penalty if a person commits a crime in which capital punishment is necessary.

The death penalty goes back as early as the seventh century B.C. in Britain.

Death sentencing was carried out by crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning

alive, and impalement. Then in tenth century A.D. hanging became the most common.

As the death penalty evolved in the sixteenth century individuals were executed for

marrying a Jew, not confessing to a crime, and treason. Punishment for these crimes

were boiling, burning at the stake, hanging, beheading, drawing, and quartering.

America later adopted the death penalty in 1608 where the first suspect was executed

for being a spy. In years to follow executed criminals began to rise, then in the early

nineteenth century plummeted. Six states abolished the death penalty and three states

only used the death penalty if the crimes of treason or first degrees murder of a law

enforcement officer were committed. With the drop in death sentencing crime rates

increased, thus in 1920 five of the six states reinstated the death penalty due to

capitalism (DPIC).

Punishment most popular in the nineteenth century was the usage of cyanide

gas because other forms of punishment were sought to be inhumane. There was a lot of

conflict because bystanders who witnessed the death sentencing claimed other

methods of execution to be inhumane. States adopted this method because it was

distributed to the inmate while they were asleep but realized the inaccuracy, thus

introduced the gas chamber.

Capital Punishment 3

Methods of execution used from the late nineteenth century till now are lethal

injection, electrocution, gas chamber, hanging, and firing squad. Lethal injection is the

most adopted form of execution due to the rapidness of the drugs. There are three

drugs included in the mixture that of which are sodium thiopental, pancuronium

bromide, and potassium chloride. This mixture of drugs work in synch causing the

organs of a human body to shut down followed by fatal cardiac arrest. Lethal injection

also is popular in the fact that it costs approximately $86.08 (Methods of Execution, n.d.

para. 1).

Electrocution was the second choice for states that used the death penalty. It

was used for a few years then the usage of lethal injection became popular because of

the complaint that it was inhumane. People thought this because after the electricity

enters through the electrode located on a shaved scalp causing brain death then

continuing to the leg where it exits the body creating the skin to burn, turn colors, or

possibly even catch fire. The remaining three methods of execution are rarely used

among states due to unpopularity of state legislature. Lethal injection is the first choice

for states in executing prisoners. Thirty-eight states adopted lethal injection, three

adopted electrocution, and eleven states are still undecided or have abolished the death

penalty. When looking at graphs and charts of convicted felons many of which are

sitting on death row but are not being executed because of the appeals of their trials. A

convicted felon who is sentenced to death may appeal the ruling up to five years after

sentencing if they can present information not brought up in court that could be

considered in the decision to change the sentence. In regards to the ongoing appeals,

states have chosen not to execute capital punishment because they believe that it is too

expensive to prosecute and life without