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Capital punishment
Vanessa Ott
Period 2
Honors American History
WHAT IS CAPITAL PUNISHMENT?
Death Penalty
Planned taking of a human life
Government’s Response to a crime committed
DIVIDED BELIEFS “Ultimate
denial of human rights”
“Violates the right to life”
“In-human and degrading punishment”
“Some defendants have earned the ultimate punishment
“Life is sacred” “ Society has no
right to keep the murder from killing again”
Teach that killing is wrong by killing
DEATH PENALTY IN THE US Has not always been
practiced in U.S About 13,000 people
have been executed Peak in the depression
era 1972- nullified the
death penalty 1976-2009 1,167
people have been executed
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Democratic countries in Europe have
abolished capital punishment over last 50 years.
In the US government retain it Crimes vary from treason-murder-
theft
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN THE US Officially sanctioned by 34 states Each state has different laws regarding
Laws, Methods, Age limits, Crimes which qualify
MORAL COMPLICATIONS The case of “ Stanley
“Tookie” Williams Dr. Williams, author
&Nobel Peace & Literature Prize Nominee
Put to death on December 13, 2005
Brought capital punishment back into debate
CONTINUED.. Williams convicted
for four murders Professed
innocence of theses crimes
Co-founder of the crips
Gang that is responsible for hundreds of murders
Five years of incarnation
Religious conversion
Published books that promoted peace & anitgang activist
PUBLIC REFLECTION Little doubt that he committed
murders No further threat to society Contribute considerable good Put to death on December
13,2005 lethal injection
ARGUMENTS FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT Someone who would cause more
harm Punish the criminal
Deter others from committing murder
Incapable of rehabilitation
ARGUMENTS AGAINST CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
“Cruel and unusual punishment”
- prohibited by the 8th amendment
Used disproportionately against poor
Wrongly convicted
Not “pro-life”
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN THE UNITED STATES Only used for
aggravated murder Some states have
banned it 52 executions in
2009 Texas has the
largest amount of executions
METHODS OF EXECUTION
Hanging Electric Chair
Lethal injection Gas Chamber Firing Squad
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN OTHER COUNTRIES Many countries
abolished it Iran is the biggest
executer of juvenile offenders
3, 350 sentenced to death in 51 countries
20,000 prisoners on death row across world
DEATH ROW Section of prisons awaiting execution Found guilty then sentenced to execution Remain on death row while during
procedure Form of mental cruelty Become mentally ill Death row phenomenon
EXECUTIONS IN PENNSYLVANIA 1913 Electric Chair “Old Smokey” Unconstitutional -1972 Two Dozen removed from death row Only 3 executed since 1976 Lethal Injection
COST OF THE DEATH PENALTY
Annual cost - $137 million per year
Average cost of death case is $620,932
State pays to defend and prosecute death row inmates
“Life in imprisonment without parole”
Same result as capital punishment Far less expensive
FOUR TYPES Abolitionist for
all crimes - no death
penalty for any crime
Abolitionist for ordinary crimes- exceptional crimes only
Abolitionist in practice retain for ordinary crimes – murder Believed to have policy of non-executions present
Receptionist Retains for ordinary crimes
THE END