Capital Punishment An Issue Of Bias - 1878 Words

Austin Norris Terry White English 1301 October 14, 2014 Capital Punishment as an Issue of Bias Aristotle once said â€Å"the generality of men are naturally apt to be swayed by fear rather than reverence, and to refrain from evil rather because of punishment that it brings than because of its own foulness.† Capital punishment has been intertwined in United States history for centuries with a number of crimes that could lead to the death penalty if convicted, many of them are some form of murder. Since 1977, three thousand and ninety-five defendants have been on death row and of that, only one thousand thirty eight defendants have actually been executed. But the perilous question is whether or not the defendants were sentenced based on solely the facts and nature of the crime or crimes, or were there other contributing factors that influenced the severity of the verdict. There are several social controversies that surround the people who are sent to death row, predominately bias and discrimination issues which are based on ethnicity, gender, and mental health. The death penalty was implemented to punish those deserving of such a punishment, however according to Cohan and Smith â€Å"race based arbitrariness â€Å"could inhibit the fairness of the administration of punishment† (Cohen and Smith). The statistical study suggested that defendants had a higher probability of receiving the death penalty for a case involving a white victim than a black victim. The Death Row Report U.S.A.,Show MoreRelatedThe Death Penalty Is The Punishment Of Execution1707 Words   |  7 PagesKacie Trapp Mr. Sneeden English 1010 6 November 2015 Essay 3: The Personal as Political The death penalty is â€Å"the punishment of execution, administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime.† Currently, thirty-six countries practice this punishment, 103 countries have abolished it for all crimes, and six countries have abolished it except for special circumstances. The death penalty has been around for a very long time in the United States, with the first recorded execution being thatRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Wrong And Inhumane Essay1170 Words   |  5 Pagesworld and it is our responsibility as a society to see that capital punishment is wrong and inhumane. Some oppositions to the death penalty include racial bias in death sentencing, capital punishment is irreversible, capital punishment costs more than incarceration, and poor quality defense leaves many sentenced to death. Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the notion of legal authorization of killing a person as punishment for a crime they have committed. The first established deathRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article Disparities On Death Row 863 Words   |  4 PagesBeing sent to Death Row is the highest prosecution a criminal could be sentenced to and the process when determining of someone deserves a death sentence is a very bias decision. Since 1977 when capital punishment was restored there has been about 20,600 homicides and only about .7 death sentences for every 100 homicides has been given in the Cook county. The decision to impose a death sentence is not only based on the crime done but also the race of the victim. Attorneys at a state level has a lessRead MoreCapital Punishment During The Colonial Era1165 Words   |  5 Pages The public opinion within the United States on capital punishment has fluctuated since its early establishment during the colonial era. The debate about the use of capital punishment has been shaped by factors such as class, gender, age but most importantly race. During the colonial era, Britain was the biggest influence on America when it came to utilizing the death penalty. The death penalty was used for minor offenses such as stealing, killing animals, and trading with Indians. As the late 1700sRead MorePersuasive Essay : Capital Punishment1200 Words   |  5 Pages2015 Capital Punishment Capital punishment, which is also known as the death penalty, is the punishment of a crime by execution. This extreme retribution is reserved for those who have committed heinous, or capital crimes against society, therefore considered an ongoing threat. Capital punishment was abolished from the Canadian Criminal Code in 1976. It was substituted with a compulsory life sentence without possibility of parole for 25 years for all first-degree murders. However capital punishmentRead MoreDeath Penalty On Violent Criminals1520 Words   |  7 PagesBrandon Bechtel Miller English 1301 B5 28 November 2015 Death Penalty on Violent Criminals The Death penalty, known as capital punishment is when a criminal is executed by a governing authority. We (the United States) continue to allow the death penalty. Many countries make the death penalty illegal. Many discussions over this being legal, moral ethical, and economic ramifications of the death penalty are continuous across the world. Most of the nations have at one time made the death penaltyRead MoreCapital Punishment And The Death Penalty Essay1690 Words   |  7 PagesLiterature Review Capital punishment is defined as â€Å"a form of sentencing where the convicted person is ordered to death by the court system (Dotson and Carter, 2012, p.1). Capital punishment also known as the death penalty is one of the most controversial issues in today’s society. Many supporters and opponents of the death penalty debate over whether it is constitutional, whether it is inhumane, and whether it deters crime. Some abolitionists view the death penalty as immoral because it violatesRead MoreBureau Of Justice Statistics : The United States Primary Source For Criminal Justice1439 Words   |  6 PagesCapital Punishment. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). U.S. Department of Justice. 25 Nov. 2014. Web. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. Bureau of Justice Statistics is the United States primary source for criminal justice statistics. The website has published information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government. According to Bureau of Justice Statistics, â€Å"The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is a component of the OfficeRead More Against Capital Punishment Essay1273 Words   |  6 PagesAgainst Capital Punishment What is the true value of a human life and how can one trade it for another? Isn’t it said repetitively in religion and government that each life should be treated equally? Then, how are we allowed to condemn a person to death? How can we make abortion illegal but capital punishment legal in certain circumstances? No matter what way you look at it capital punishment is murder. If each year there is about 250 people added to death row and 35 executed imagine how manyRead MoreEssay on The Death Penalty1543 Words   |  7 PagesCapital Punishment The Death Penalty In the United States many crimes are committed every day, people killing another person, raping innocent children. I strongly believe that people who committed a crime should be punished and punished harshly and those who commit harm to another person should die. The Capital Punishment is a controversial topic that affects society as a whole and causes a great deal of disagreement. Capital punishment is the government legally kills an individual as punishment