Capital punishment is the most severe form of corporal
             punishment as it requires law enforcement officers to kill the
             offender. Today, while more than half of the countries in the
             world have abolished the death penalty in law or practice, the
             United States continues to use the death penalty in all but 13
             states. Many believe that the death penalty is unconstitutional,
             because it violates the eighth amendment, which protects citizens
             from "cruel and unusual punishment." Others who hold the opposing
             view, believe that once you have committed a crime against
             humanity, you lose your right to protection under the
             It is believed by some that a major purpose of capital
             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. Among the experts, there is overwhelming
             consensus that the death penalty never has been, is not and never
             could be a deterrent to homicide more so than life imprisonment.
             Capital punishment as a form of deterrence does not work. There
             is evidence that there are no fewer murders on a per-capita basis
             in countries or states that carry out the death penalty than
             those that do not. Individuals who commit violent crimes
             frequently do not take into account the consequences of their
             actions. There are those who believe that this type of criminal
             If that is an accurate assessment of the criminal who commits a
             violent crime, then consequences are not considered prior to the
             act. Deterrence to crime is rooted within the individual's basic
             personality. It stems from a very basic understanding or lack of
             understanding of right and wrong that develops as the person
             grows from infancy to adulthood. Every human has a personal code
             of conduct based on their life experiences that will ultimately
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