Capital Punishment as Ineffective Crime Deterrence
Capital punishment is meant to serve as deterrence of crimes. However, it seems as if it does not deter crime as expected. States that have capital punishment also record high rates of homicides, unlike those without capital punishment. Therefore, capital punishment does not act as a deterrence to crimes because if it did, then states with capital punishment would have low rates of homicides, as people would be afraid of being hanged.
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Another reason why capital punishment does not deter crime could be that at the time of murder people do not really consider or even think about the kind of punishment that they are likely to get for their actions.
On the other hand, capital punishment is a violation of the Eighth Amendment because it prohibits cruel punishments. Execution is a cruel punishment and should not be given to anyone because if killing is wrong, what makes killing the killer right. The murderer remains a human being and should not be treated as an object that can be discarded after a ruling. I think capital punishment is both a cruel form of punishment and unusual according to the eighth amendment and should not be carried out.
Another form of punishment, such as life without parole is more humane and a pragmatic alternative to capital punishment. Putting people away for life is better because it gives a chance to those who are innocent to be exonerated in case of further appeals, which may produce evidence to prove the innocence of a convict. In this regard, many people have been executed, yet they were innocent had, they had the life without parole alternative they would have had a second chance in life.
The alternative form of punishment is more effective because a suspect lives in jail forever, regretting their crimes, unlike when they are killed, and it is all over. Capital punishment seems like an easy way out for the criminals, and so they should be left in jail forever. Also, some oppose capital punishment on moral grounds and feel that it is more of revenge than a punishment. Thus, life without parole is a pragmatic form of punishment for capital punishment.
