Pros
It is the opinion of proponents of the death penalty that administering justice is the foundation of any society's criminal policy. When punishment for murdering another human being is delivered, the first question should be if that punishment is just relative to the crime. Although there are different concepts of what constitutes just punishment, anytime the well-being of the criminal out ways that of the victim, justice has not been served. To gauge justice, one should ask themselves:
- If I was murdered today, what would a just punishment be for the person who took my life?
- Should that person be allowed to live out their life behind bars?
In time, the convicted murderer will adjust to their incarceration and find within its limitations, time when they feel joy, times when they laugh, talk to their family, etc., but as the victim, no more are such opportunities available to them. Those that are pro death penalty feel it is society’s responsibility to step in and be the voice of the victim and determine what is a just punishment, for the victim not the criminal.
Think of the phrase itself, "life sentence." Does the victim get a "life sentence"? The victim is dead. To serve justice, that person who ended their life should have to pay with their own in order for the scale of justice to remain in balance.
Cons
Opponents of capital punishment say, capital punishment is barbaric and cruel and has no place in a civilized society. It denies an individual of due process by imposing irrevocable punishment on them and depriving them from ever benefiting from new technology that may provide later evidence of their innocence.Murder in any form, by any person, shows a lack of respect for human life. For victims of murder, sparing the life of their killer is the truest form of justice that can be given to them. Opponents of the death penalty feel to kill as a way to "even out" the crime would only justify the act itself. This position is not taken out of sympathy to the convicted murderer but out of respect for his victim in demonstrating that all human life should be of value.
Where it Stands
As of April 1, 2004, America had 3,487 inmates on death row. In 2003, only 65 criminals were executed. The average time span between being sentenced to death and being put to death is 9 - 12 years although many have lived on death row for up to 20 years.One has to ask, under these circumstances, are victims' family members really healed by the death penalty or are they re-victimized by a criminal justice system that exploits their pain to keep voters happy and makes promises it cannot keep?
