Term Paper on "Deterrent Effects of the Death Penalty"
Term Paper 3 pages (1156 words) Sources: 1+
[EXCERPT] . . . .
Death Penalty as a Deterrent - Opposing ViewpointsOne of the most controversial issues in today's America has to do with the question as to whether or not the death penalty is a deterrent to crime. Many of those that support the death penalty argue that execution, whether by lethal injection, the electric chair or hanging, is the most suitable penalty for persons who have committed atrocious crimes like first-degree murder, rape or the murder of a child. The main contention for these supporters is that the convicted person deserves punishment that is comparable to the crime; in addition, supporters of the death penalty argue that such an action demonstrates society's adherence to moral principles. According to Robert Bidinotto, such crimes as premeditated murder "is a crime in a class by itself," for it "negates the highest moral end of a civil society," being human life (156).
In contrast, those that are against the death penalty argue that even when a person commits murder, such an act does not justify death. This argument is supported by several examples -- first, the mental anguish that a condemned person experiences is a form of torture which has been denounced by many nations. Also, when a state or the federal government executes a person, it undermines its moral authority and subtracts from the value of human life.
The supporters of the death penalty have traditionally applied several reasons why civilized society is justified in putting to death those that commit horrendous crimes. One reason is retribution which allegedly satisfies the demands of society for punishing the criminal in accordance with the severity of his/her crime. With deterren
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In the case of deterrence, the death of a criminal who has committed murder obviously ends the criminal's opportunities to commit another murder. Conversely, as maintained by John O'Hair, a district attorney in the city of Detroit, "I do not think the death penalty is a deterrent of any consequence in preventing murders, (for) most homicides... are impulsive actions (and) crimes of passion in which the killers do not consider the consequences of what they are doing" (Espejo 18), meaning that before a murder is committed, the perpetrator does not normally consider the possibility that he/she could face the death penalty as a result of their actions.
The overall popularity of the death penalty in the United States is generally due to frustrations over violent crime and the attitude that capital punishment is needed in order to discourage people from committing murder or other violent crimes. But as shown in a survey conducted in 1995 by Richard Dieter, less than one percent out of 350 police chiefs and sheriffs from across the U.S. when asked if the death penalty was an effective deterrent to violent crime responded that it was a good way to reduce violent criminal activity (Pojman 256). However, as Hugo Bedau relates, when one examines the effects of the death penalty in those states that utilize it for punishment, "five states (show) the greatest relative improvements," namely, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Delaware and Texas, all of which "have aggressively (applied)...… READ MORE
Quoted Instructions for "Deterrent Effects of the Death Penalty" Assignment:
ASSIGNMENT: WRITE A RESEARCH PAPER OF 3-4 PAGES (800 WORDS MIN)
TOPIC: THEDETERRENT EFFECT OF THE DEATH PENALTY
APPROACH: ARGUMENT OF INQUIRY--EXOPLORE DIFFERING VIEWS ON THE ISSUE, INCLUDING THE REASONS USED TO ADVANCE THE OPPOSING POSITIONS
RESEARCH REQUIREMENTS: YOU MUST HAV AT LEAST THREE CITATIONS IN THE TEXT OF YOUR PAPER FROM AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT SOURCES DRAWN FROM PERIODICALS OR BOOKS
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY: YOU MUST INCLUED AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY WITH YOUR PAPER WITH ENTRIES FOR:
1) EACH OF THE SOURCES CITED IN YOUR PAPER,
2) ADDITIONAL SOURCES THAT ARE NOT CITED IN YOUR PAPER FOR A TOTAL OF SIX SOURCES
WORKS CITED PAGE: YOU MUST ALSO INCLUDE A WORK CITED PAGE LISTING ONLY THOSE SOURCES CITED IN YOUR PAPER
ORGANIZATION: THE OVERALL STRUCTURE OF THE PAPER MUST BE YOUR OWN; YOU SHOULD USE PUBLISHED SOURCES TO DEVELOP AND SUPPORT YOUR IDEAS.
FORMAT NOTES: YOUR PAPER MUST BE TYPED, DOUBLE-SPACED IN A COMMON 12PT. FONT SUCH AS TIMES NEW ROMAN OR COURIER. DON'T USE ITALICS (EXCEPT FOR EMPHASIS, TITLES OR FOREIGN WORDS) OR BOLD-FACE OR OTHER STRANGE FONTS. DON'T TYPE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. PUT A HEADING IN THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER OF YOUR PAPER INCLUDING YOUR NAME, THE NAME AND NUMBER OF THIS COURSE, THE INSTRUCTOR'S NAME, THE NAME OF THE ASSIGNMENT (I.E. SHORT PAPER #1) AND THE DATE. INCLUDE A FOOTER ON THE SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT PAGES INCLUDING YOUR NAME, THE NAME OF THE ASSIGNMENT AND THE PAGE NUMBER
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How to Reference "Deterrent Effects of the Death Penalty" Term Paper in a Bibliography
“Deterrent Effects of the Death Penalty.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2005, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/death-penalty-deterrent/29821. Accessed 5 Oct 2024.
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