The Pros and Cons of the Death Penalty as a Capital Punishment

The death penalty is a morally ambiguous topic. On one hand it prevents the chance of dangerous criminals escaping from prison and causing more harm. However, it can also lead to the wrong person dying, it can cost millions of taxpayers dollars, and it forcibly ends a life after years of isolation. There's a quote that says "if you kill a killer there are the same number of killers in the world." While this is true it is also true that if you kill one hundred killers the number drops by 99. The death penalty has its pros and cons just as everything else does: there's a lengthy process, moral disadvantages, fiscal disadvantages, and even a few moral advantages.

The death penalty process starts with a direct appeal. This is "an automatic appeal given to everyone sentenced to death" (DPIC, Death Penalty Appeals Process). It starts in the trial court, moves up to the state court, and goes to the supreme court. In some states this is optional, but in others it is mandatory. A state post-conviction goes through the U.S. District Court, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court. This alone is a timely process due to court procedures, evidence, scheduling, any changes in lawyers, etc. After the court rulings, the prisoner then goes to rot on death row for years.

According to the article Time on Death Row, in 2012 the average amount of time an inmate was on death row was 190 month. That is approximately 15 years. In some cases it was asked if these long delays were unconstitutional seeing as how it could be cruel and unusual punishment. Imagine waiting in isolation for 15 years never knowing when it will all end. This process of waiting has even led to what Time on Death Row explains to be Death Row Phenomenon. Inmate have been seen to become delusional in these endless hours alone. Some even become suicidal. There could be no end in sight for them.

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The death penalty process in ridiculously long. If someone is to be put to death, their time on death row should not be more than a year or two. 15 years of pure isolation is cruel and unusual. The court process is understandably long to reduce error. However, time in prison prior to execution should be cut back drastically.

The death penalty can be seen as morally wrong in several instances. According to multiple religions and the law, killing someone is, in a word, bad. According to one opinion in Death Penalty is Just Plain Wrong it is "morally wrong to take the life of an individual, no matter how despicable that individual may be." To kill anyone at any time can be seen as immoral. According to the bible suicide, euthanasia, and any other form of purposely causing death is considered a sin. This leads to argue that any good Christian would be against the death penalty.

That includes all the Christians in the court systems and in the government for allowing this to be legal. Of course it isn't only the Christians who have this kind of rule in their beliefs. Mahatma Ghandi was a Sanatani Hindu and he believed an eye for an eye made the whole world blind. Thus a death for a death (or multiple) would be immoral. Casey Carmical explains in Capital Punishment Is Morally Justified that "we must be prepared to rape rapists, beat sadists, and burn down the houses of arsonists" if we allow an eye for an eye to mean a death for a death.

The death penalty can be replaced with more humane punishments. Even countries that America has considered oppressive or infringe on their citizens rights "have ended the barbaric practice of the death penalty  while we continue it." (Death Penalty is Just Plain Wrong). For continuing this practice, America can be seen as very hypocritical.

The death penalty is incredibly costly. In fact it is "much more expensive than its closest alternative life imprisonment with no parole" (Dieter, Millions Misspent). This leads to the idea that not only is it a moral argument but it's also a fiscal one. In some cases the death penalty can cost as much as "$2.3 million per case" (Dieter, Millions Misspent). Why should taxpayers' unusual. The court process is understandably long to reduce error. However, time in prison prior to execution should be cut back drastically.

The death penalty can be seen as morally wrong in several instances. According to multiple religions and the law, killing someone is, in a word, bad. According to one opinion in Death Penalty is Just Plain Wrong it is "morally wrong to take the life of an individual, no matter how despicable that individual may be." To kill anyone at any time can be seen as immoral. According to the bible suicide, euthanasia, and any other form of purposely causing death is considered a sin. This leads to argue that any good Christian would be against the death penalty.

That includes all the Christians in the court systems and in the government for allowing this to be legal. Of course it isn't only the Christians who have this kind of rule in their beliefs. Mahatma Ghandi was a Sanatani Hindu and he believed an eye for an eye made the whole world blind. Thus a death for a death (or multiple) would be immoral. Casey Carmical explains in Capital Punishment Is Morally Justified that "we must be prepared to rape rapists, beat sadists, and burn down the houses of arsonists" if we allow an eye for an eye to mean a death for a death.

The death penalty can be replaced with more humane punishments. Even countries that America has considered oppressive or infringe on their citizens rights "have ended the barbaric practice of the death penalty while we continue it." (Death Penalty is Just Plain Wrong). For continuing this practice, America can be seen as very hypocritical.

The death penalty is incredibly costly. In fact it is "much more expensive than its closest alternative life imprisonment with no parole" (Dieter, Millions Misspent). This leads to the idea that not only is it a moral argument but it's also a fiscal one. In some cases the death penalty can cost as much as "$2.3 million per case" (Dieter, Millions Misspent). Why should taxpayers'

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