Your Capital Punishment Notes from Class

PRO	MIDDLE GROUND?  REFORM?	CON
INNOCENT PEOPLE Many would argue that innocent people have been executed in the past; however, recent advances in technology have decreased the risk of wrongful conviction and execution.   Quote Koch	Isn’t it also pretty bad to imprison an innocent person for life?   Reform?	INNOCENT PEOPLE   There is a risk of executing an innocent person.   System will never be perfect and we can’t risk executing an innocent person.
MONEY   Start hanging people instead to save money   It costs too much to keep criminals in prison for life.   Taxpayers should not have to pay to keep murderers in jail for life; they should just be executed.   Cost shouldn’t be a factor	Cut down the number of appeals to save money   Reform to save money	MONEY   The process of carrying out the death penalty is too costly.
MORALITY/JUSTICE   It is a justifiable punishment for heinous crimes.   If you are prepared to take a life, you should be prepared to have yours taken (unless psychological problems)   Fitting punishment for certain crimes   Affirms our loved ones’ lives/the sanctity of life		MORALITY/JUSTICE The death penalty should be abolished, for it goes against our moral values.  We should not fight “fire with fire.”   Capital punishment cheapens the value of life   It is inhumane to execute people.   The death penalty is cruel, unusual and unethical retribution. (Violates the constitution – 8th ammedment)
APPROPRIATE PUNISHMENT? Adequately harsh retribution for  a harsh crime		APPROPRIATE PUNISHMENT? Murderers deserve to suffer in prison for the rest of their lives. Keeping them in jail would serve the same outcomes as execution: protecting society
VICTIMS’ FAMILIES   The victims’ families deserve reassurance and justice.  Retribution for victims’ families   Closure for the victims’ families		VICTIMS’ FAMILIES   While capital punishment is thought to expedite the healing process for victims’ families, it may actually cause unnecessary tension and stress
DETERRENCE It will help prevent murders.   Decrease the crime rate   Prevents convicted killers from killing again	Reform to make it a better deterrent	DETERRENCE Don’t have sufficient evidence of deterrence   Won’t affect all would-be murderers – they don’t think normally
FAIR?	Reform?	FAIR? The death penalty is not applied consistently due to inequalities in the system   Bias in the system   Discriminatory in terms of ethnicity and social class   Arbitrary
ROLE OF THE GOV.		ROLE OF THE GOV.   It’s not the government’s right to choose who lives and who doesn’t.
REDEMPTION   Those who perform the most heinous acts can’t learn from them.   Some capital offenders are beyond redemption		REDEMPTION   Life in prison allows a chance at redemption
It is supported by a lot if individuals in the United States
If we don’t advocate and implement the death penalty, these killers aren’t being punished and are essentially given a “license to kill”
METHODS OF EXECUTION		METHODS OF EXECUTION   The way these people are executed is inhumane