Is making someone walk the plank for their crimes possibly one step too far?

Or is it the most appropriate punishment?

Should those who kill be killed themselves?

The death penalty in my opinion is one topic I feel the pros do not outweigh the cons, nor vice versa.

I see both sides as it is practiced in some U.S. states, yet abolished in others.

I agree with the side of anti-death penalty considering its cost over life in prison without parole.
Keeping prisoners on death row for years and then paying for the lethal injection costs about three times more than the cost of keeping them in prison for the rest of their lives.

Also, there have been cases in the past where people from death row have been proven innocent and freed.

Although, with constant advancements in forensic science, I see there being less room for error in the future.

One last reason I agree with the anti-death penalty side is that I feel it violates the Eighth Amendment against cruel and unusual punishment. Does death not fall under the category of a cruel punishment? I find death to be more inhumane of a fate rather than life without parole.
How exactly does a convict view and value life in prison though?

Does a criminal who would kill, rape and steal everything you have in the blink of an eye with no remorse deserve to even be in prison?

They get to live somewhere that provides them with food, a place to sleep, clothes and, best of all, they do not pay for any of it.

Does such a monstrous person deserve this free ride in prison or the drastic death sentence? I find it an extremely tough call to make.

I see and agree with some reasons why people choose to be against the death penalty, but I also agree with some of the points favoring it.

One being how it prevents prison overcrowding. Prisons are already crowded enough, keeping everyone on death row in there for the rest of their lives plus all of the other inmates who come and go seems unimaginable.

Also, killing a murderer is the only sure way to know they will not hurt anyone ever again. Issuing the killer the death penalty also provides closure for the victim’s family. The killer brought immense grief upon the family and it will not end after the execution, but it would provide a feeling of relief and security knowing the entire ordeal is over.

The biggest issue that stands out to me though is that the death penalty can often be escaped by the rich and is typically issued to the poor. There have been many instances where the accused have spent large sums of money on great attorneys and dodged that bullet. Meanwhile, many people on death row used a free court appointed attorney and lost the case.

All in all, I have mixed feelings on the death penalty.

If it is to be used though, it should be issued to those who have truly committed a heinous crime, and not to those who cannot afford a brighter fate.

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