The most severe of all sentences: that of death. Also known as the death penalty, capital punishment this is the most severe form of corporal punishment as it is requires law enforcement officers to kill the offender. It has been banned in many countries, including the United States. Many states previously attempted to eliminate capital punishment, yet that decision has now been reversed and more and more states are returning to this form of punishment for serious offenses. Currently, there is an ongoing debate regarding capital punishment, whether or not it is effective, and if it is morally right. Lawmakers must ask themselves and the public one very important question: is death penalty a "cruel and unusual" punishment or is it a necessary method in our current society to properly punish capital offenders for their crimes?
             The death penalty dates back to as early as the nineteenth century. In 1972, the landmark case of Furman v. Georgia attempted to have the death penalty declared unconstitutional. This case resulted in the death penalty being legally classified as a form of cruel and unusual punishment (Criminal Punishment, Encarta Encyclopedia, 2001). However, the 1975 case, Gregg v. Georgia reversed the previous Court's ruling and decided that capital punishment did not violate the eighth Amendment. Thus, executions resumed once again under state supervision (Amnesty International, 2001).
             Furthermore, there are four major issues in the capital punishment debate, the first being deterrence. A major purpose of criminal punishment is to deter future criminal conduct. The deterrence theory suggests that a rational person will avoid criminal behavior if the severity of the punishment outweighs the benefits of the illegal conduct (CFBE, 2001). It is believed that fear of death deters people from committing crimes. Most criminals would think twice before committing murder if they knew their own lives could be taken fro...