Eye for an Eye
Today there is a big controversy over capital punishment whether or not it works or if its morally right. People who favor the death penalty say that the criminals deserve it and is the only way for justice to be served. This statement is very true. Many murderers and rapists today are not serving most-if even half-of their sentences due to early parole or overcrowded prisons. If a murderer is sentenced to life imprisonment, not only does it cost the tax payers money to support them but often their life in jail is often better than that which some citizens live everyday. As of today there are currently thirty- seven states that have the death penalty. A majority of the other states, mostly in the Midwest, have abolished it. At the end of 1992 State and Federal prisons reached a record high of 883,593 prisoners. This record meant that approximately 1143 prison bed spaces are needed per week due to overcrowding. To put this in an economic prospective, on the average each prisoner costs $22000 per year,
These safeguards are:1) Capital punishment may be imposed only for a crime for which the death penalty is prescribed by law at the time of commission. These safeguards will ensure that justice will be served without having it suffer. These 883,593 prisoners are costing the American tax payers approximately 19. 7 million for the construction of the 1143 spaces needed. 7) Capital punishment shall not be carried out pending any appeal, recourse procedure or proceeding relating to pardon or commutation of the sentenced. 8) Also capital punishment shall be carried out as to inflict the minimum possible suffering. The average time a death row prisoner has to spend in jail until the death sentence is carried out is about nine years six months. In 1992 of the 2575 prisoners sentenced to death, 1 out of 11 had a prior conviction of homicide. Another reason that many people are against the death penalty is that they feel that innocent people will be wrongfully executed in the name of justice. 6) Anyone sentenced to death shall have the right to seek pardon or commutation of sentenced. 2) Persons below eighteen years of age, pregnant woman, new mothers or persons who have become insane shall not be sentenced to death. 3) Capital punishment may be imposed only when guilt is determined by clear and convincing evidence leaving no room for an alternative explanation of the facts.
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