The death penalty is a very controversial topic all over the world. Some people support the death penalty, some oppose it, and some just don't know. This paper will discuss many of the issues involved in the death penalty, including the different types of execution, the execution of juveniles and the mentally handicapped, and the different arguments (pro and con) to the death penalty.
             The death penalty is defined as a sentence of punishment by execution. In the United States, thirty-eight out of fifty states have the death penalty. Fifty percent of the death executions come from Texas, and the other fifty percent come from all the other states combined. Since 1976, the United States has executed nine hundred and sixty people (http//www.deathpenaltyinfo.org). There are five methods of execution used in the United States today.
             The first form of execution is hanging. Only two states still have this form of execution. Those states are New Hampshire and Washington. Up until the 1890's, hanging was the primary form of execution used in the United States.
             The second form of execution is a firing squad. The three states that still use this form of execution are Idaho, Oklahoma, and Utah. The inmate is tied in a chair, in front of an oval shaped canvas. There are five marksmen in an enclosure about twenty feet away. All of them have .30 caliber rifles. Four of the rifles are loaded with single rounds. One is loaded with blank rounds. Each marksman aims at the canvas and fires.
             The third form of execution is electrocution. The inmate is strapped to a chair. An electrode is placed on his head and one on his leg. When the executioner pulls the handle, a jolt of between five hundred and two thousand volts is given and usually lasts thirty
             seconds. There are nine states that authorize this method. Nebraska is the only one that requires this method.
             The fourth form of execution is the gas chamber. Five states, Arizona, C...