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Is a Death Penalty too harsh of a Punishment?

Hello everybody!

The death penalty is often considered a controversial punishment in many parts of the world. Do you think the death penalty is necessary for punishing certain crimes or helping criminals out by providing them with psychotherapy is a better way to go about it?

6 answers4 replies

10 Comments

Emily M

Feb 01, 2022

A main reason to have a punishment is deterrence, or to discourage other people from committing the crime due to fear of the punishment. Research shows that the death penalty is not an effective way to deter people from committing violent crimes. Add this to the fact that many people are falsely convicted based on race and/or socioeconomic status and the fact that the cost of keeping someone on death row is incredibly high, and it becomes clear that the death penalty does not accomplish what it is meant to.

ilvaciraku

Jan 09, 2022

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In my honest opinion, the death penalty is too harsh. Even if we punish someone with death penalty for a commited crime, that does not mean we will stop others from commiting the same crime. I think that sentencing someone with prison for life will have a better effect

Marisa H

Jan 08, 2022

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I think a country's attitude about the death penalty depends on what the people think the justice system should achieve - rehabilitation or punishment. I do think there are some crimes that are unforgivable, but I can't 100% say that those perpetrators aren't capable of rehabilitation (although they might not ever gain redemption or access back to society).

Also, although it is rare, there is always the risk that the executed person was innocent.

Julianna Kirschner

Jan 11, 2022

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Replying to

Hi @Marisa H, people being wrongly convicted and placed on death row is not as uncommon or rare as you may think. Research shows that more than 4% of people on death row at any point in time, are innocent, and that is a very conservative number. There are about 2,500 men and women on death row, which means at least 100 of them are innocent.

I totally agree with you that the use of the death penalty is based on perceptions of the public on how the CJ system is supposed to function-either rehabilitative or punishing. However, after years of research, criminologists have concluded that punishment does not serve as a deterrent effect. In other words, increase use of the death penalty does not reduce crime, which many believe it does.

While I agree that there are some people who cannot be rehabilitated and even some who's crimes are unforgivable, I would rather let 5 criminals off than let 1 innocent person be killed by use of the death penalty.

Marisa H

Jan 12, 2022

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Replying to

@Julianna Kirschner Wow, I didn't realize it was that common! It's sad to think how many people have been wrongly put to death.

I wish I could remember where I heard this - but I was once listening to a podcast and the speakers noted that the methods of putting people to death aren't guaranteed to be painless (even lethal injection). If we were to continue having the death penalty, we, as a society, have to accept it's brutality.

Julianna Kirschner

Jan 17, 2022

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Replying to

@Marisa H I agree completely, there have been countless botched attempts at administering the death penalty. Fortunately, society doesn't have to accept its brutality and instead can reform the use entirely by getting rid of it altogether. Life in prison is enough to incapacitate those who are unable to be rehabilitated.

Esther

Jan 08, 2022

Personally, I don’t think it’s too harsh. In fact, I think death is too quick and too merciful.

Julianna Kirschner

Jan 11, 2022

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Replying to

The 8th amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment which is why the physical procedure itself is supposed to be (although there are plenty that have not been) quick and painless. Purposefully making someone suffer would make the government just as bad as the criminal. I would also question the mental state of someone who is able to perform something torturous on another human being for the sake of the government.

Additionally, though the actual act of enacting the death penalty is quick, individuals spend years on death row just waiting for their name to be called. This is psychologically painful instead of physically.

Reeds Clinical

Jan 08, 2022

In the United States, there are a large number of people who are against the death penalty. They say that a person’s life is precious and sacred, and should never be taken away. On the other hand, there are those who believe that a person who has committed a heinous crime should pay for it with their own life. If you were to make laws against murder, rape, and terrorism, for example, there would be no room for mercy. This is because we believe that only an eye for an eye will heal the wounds of society. But I personally believe that even though someone has committed a heinous crime, we should still give them a chance. Since in most cases, the innocents are being punished for crimes they do not commit.

Nina M.

Jan 06, 2022

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This is a tough question and also a subjective one. My opinion is that those who commit crimes that could be punished with a death sentence should instead go to prison for life and also give back to the community with physical labor. Not sure about psychotherapy... Perhaps someone else has a better suggestion