A death penalty is “the sentence of execution for murder and some other capital crimes” (http://definitions.uslegal.com/) In Texas, the earliest forms of capital punishment presented themselves in the forms of hanging and electrocution. The practice of hanging lasted all the way until 1890, at which time the electric chair started to become the preferred method. The earliest forms of execution, hanging and the electric chair, were eventually eliminated because of the inherently barbaric nature of the punishments and concerns that they violated the “cruel and unusual” punishment clause in the Bill of Rights. The electric chair in particular was phased out due to the inconsistency found in its effectiveness. Eventually after the electric chair,
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It also serves as a sort of crime deterrent for other criminals and in turn makes the general public feel that justice is “better served.” The reason that capital punishment can serve as a deterrent is because out of the top ten fears in people, fear of death is the number 2 fear. (http://listverse.com/) The use of capital punishment is said to provide a of sense of closure for the families of the victims who were affected by the criminal’s wrongdoings as they feel like the danger of the criminal hurting anyone else is finally gone. It also aids in the problem of overpopulation in our prison systems. (http://www.balancedpolitics.org/) As of 2012, Texas housed more than 152,000 inmates in its jails. (http://www.mcclatchydc.com/)
Some people believe that the use of the death penalty is merely an example of an individual’s free will being exercised. It was the criminal’s choice in the first place to commit the crime, therefore in doing that, they chose for themselves a death sentence from the courts. To address concerns of innocents being executed, the genetic systems used in forensic analysis nowadays are so complex and well developed that the percentage of error in investigations and consequent convictions is so minimal that the chance of executing an innocent is almost
It also serves as a sort of crime deterrent for other criminals and in turn makes the general public feel that justice is “better served.” The reason that capital punishment can serve as a deterrent is because out of the top ten fears in people, fear of death is the number 2 fear. (http://listverse.com/) The use of capital punishment is said to provide a of sense of closure for the families of the victims who were affected by the criminal’s wrongdoings as they feel like the danger of the criminal hurting anyone else is finally gone. It also aids in the problem of overpopulation in our prison systems. (http://www.balancedpolitics.org/) As of 2012, Texas housed more than 152,000 inmates in its jails. (http://www.mcclatchydc.com/)
Some people believe that the use of the death penalty is merely an example of an individual’s free will being exercised. It was the criminal’s choice in the first place to commit the crime, therefore in doing that, they chose for themselves a death sentence from the courts. To address concerns of innocents being executed, the genetic systems used in forensic analysis nowadays are so complex and well developed that the percentage of error in investigations and consequent convictions is so minimal that the chance of executing an innocent is almost