Death Penalty Essay -- essays research papers fc

When New York State’s governor George Pataki took office in 1995, crime dropped in total of 45%, and the murder rate dropped by 1/3. As of September 1st 1995, the death penalty was reinstated in the state of New York, assuring safer communities and fewer victims, and an over all drop in crime rate. People have used a number of arguments to support their views regarding the death penalty. Among the arguments used include deterrence, incapacitation, religious viewpoint, rehabilitation and cost. Yet it is suggested that the true judgement of a persons position on capital punishment is determined by emotional and moral beliefs. The primary questions raised by the death penalty are whether it is an effective deterrent to violent crime, and whether it is more effective than the long-term incapacitation. Defenders of the death penalty believe that by taking an offender’s life is a more severe punishment than any prison term, it must be the better deterrent. â€Å"A life term is commonly a short vacation at State expense with nothing to do but eat the fruit of others industry.† (Opposing, p43.) The term deterrence is used to suggest that with the execution of murderers, there will be a direct decrease in homicide rate, due to the idea that potential murderers will fear for their own lives. Under some states’ death penalty law offenders involving: murder of a police officer; a probation, parole, court, or corrections officer; a judge; or a witness or members of witness’s family. Also thos...