Our desire to see criminals put to death can be summed up in one word: revenge. We are
             society that still believes literally in Hammurabi's Code. We want to see an eye for an eye, a
             tooth for a tooth. While it might be impossible not to feel sympathy for victims and their
             families, at its core the death penalty is a barbaric, inhumane, and ineffectual act. The
             death penalty does not deter crime, it discriminates based on race and socioeconomic levels,
             and the judgment of courts and juries are fallible. The finality and cruelty inherent in the
             death penalty make it anathematic with the norms of civilized behavior, as well as an
             unacceptable response to violent crime. Therefore, it is imperative that the death penalty
             The vast majority of social science research indicates that the death penalty has no
             deterrent value. While one might think that fear of execution would prevent an individual from
             committing a capital crime, research suggests that a large percentage of murders are committed
             because of passion, malevolence, or because alcohol and/or drugs are involved. In such cases,
             murder is committed by individuals heedless of the consequences to themselves as well as
             others. Many commit murder during the grip of fear or rage, or who are frightened while
             committing another felony (such as robbery), or suffer from mental illness or mental retardation
             (Slobogin 2000). The Supreme Court determined that it is cruel and unusual punishment to put to
             death an individual whose mental functioning makes them incapable of grasping the significance
             of their death sentence (Ford vs. Wainwright). Unfortunately, left unresolved was whether the
             state can medicate the condemned against his will to restore competence for the execution. In
             fact, 82 percent of the nations law enforcement officials believe that criminals do not think about
             possible punishments when they commit a crime (DP...