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Letter of transmittal
To: Sir Azmat Ahmad Ansari
From: Syeda Benazir Burhan
Date: 28/2/2013
Subject: "Death Penalty"
In response to your request, I have analyzed and researched the
topic "Death Penalty." I'm pleased to present enclosed thesis,
which explains the question in detail that is it unjust for anyone to
make judgments about others, and to decide whether they should
live or die and is the capital punishment playing it's role in
diminishing the crime rate?
This thesis features research and extensive interviews with
lawyers, law enforcement agencies' officials, public opinion polls.
Capital punishment or the death penalty is a legal process whereby
a person is put to death by the state as a punishment for a crime.
The judicial decree that someone be punished in this manner is a
death sentence, while the actual process of killing the person is an
execution. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as
capital crimes or capital offences.
I would like to thank Sir Azmat Ahmad Ansari for assigning me
this topic. It sure has increased my knowlegde and cleared my
perspective in this regard.
Feel free to call, if you want to discuss about the thesis or require
any additional information.
Table of Contents
Letter of Transmittal------------------------------------------- 1
Table of Contents-----------------------------------------------2
Executive Summary--------------------------------------------3
Executive Summary:
The death penalty is a highly controversial subject. No one knows
whos right or whos wrong-its fifty percent speculation and fifty
percent research. Its just a lot of thoughts and beliefs from people
who have contributed to the death penalty hype. Whos right and
whos wrong? That is the question.
The purpose of this paper is to look at both sides of the arguments
of the death penalty-the pros and cons, and how our criminal
justice system makes legislatures and courts chose to resolve
issues. Interesting issues are brought up like the fear of the death
penalty, bible quotes, how life is sacred, and the execution of the
innocent. You will note too much emphasis is placed on the
convicted murderer and not on the victim. The murderers get out
of prison early and murder again. There are evidence to both sides
of the argument in whether the death penalty is a deterrent or not.
In question of the death penalty, I ask you to weigh both sides of
the argument carefully and make your decision based on the action
Death Penalty
Introduction:
What is Capital punishment? Capital punishment is the death
penalty. It is used today and was used in ancient times to punish a
variety of offenses. Even the bible advocates death for murder and
other crimes like kidnapping and witchcraft. When the word death
penalty is used, it makes yelling and screaming from both sides of
extremist. One side may say deterrence, while the other side may
say, but you may execute an innocent man. Today, one of the
most debated issues in the Criminal Justice System is the issue of
capital punishment or the death penalty.
Death penalty has been used in almost every part of the world, but
in the last few decades many countries have abolished it. Usage of
capital punishment is usually broken into the four categories set
out below. Of the 195 independent states that are UN members or
have UN observer status:
48 (25%) permit its use for ordinary crimes, but have not
used it for at least 10 years and are believed to have a policy
Literature Review:
If we analyze the topic, there are two key concepts that will
emerge:
1) Is it effective detterent of crime? (Pros)
2) Is it a source of revenge? (Cons)
4) Free Will:
When you commit a felony, it is a matter of free will. No one is
compelled to commit armed robbery, murder, or rape. The average
citizen does not have a mind or intentions to become a killer or
being falsely accused of murder. What he is worried about is being
a victim.
5) Death Feared:
Most people have a natural fear of death- its a trait man have to
think about what will happen before we act. If we dont think
about it consciously, we will think about it unconsciously. Thinkif every murderer who killed someone died instantly, the homicide
rate would be very low because no one likes to die. We cannot do
this, but if the Justice system can make it more swift and severe,
we could change the laws to make capital punishment faster and
make appeals a shorter process. The death penalty is important
because it could save the lives of thousands of potential victims
who are at stake.
In a foot note Bedau (1982) cites, Actually being dead is no
different from not being born, a (non) experience we all had before
being born. But death is not realized. The process of dying which
is a different matter is usually confused with it. In turn, dying is
feared because death is expected, even though death is feared
because it is confused with dying (p. 338).
Death is an experience that cannot be experienced and ends all
experience. Because it is unknown as it is certain, death is
universally feared. The life of a man should be sacred to each
other."
9) Justice:
Justice requires punishing the guilty even if only some can be
punished and sparing the innocent, even if all are not spared.
Morally, justice must always be preferred to equality. Justice
cannot ever permit sparing some guilty person, or punishing some
risks.
Since it started to be debated by the lawmakers whether it is
essential or not, capital punishment has ben removed from a large
number of countries' criminal codes in the last few decades. United
Nation takes the main role in Europe. However, some countries
such as Iran, China and a part of United States stil put capital
punishment into practise. There is no benefit of keeping death
penalty as a punishment for people who is harmed.
As dying is one of the most common fears of people, it can be
claimed that death penalty can be considered as an exemplery for
the individuals who cause crimes of violence in the society.
However, I believe that people who have potential to cause such a
big crime of violence that will end up with a death penalty will not
be capable of directing their emotions and behaviours in the right
way to make the right decisions unless they recieve psychotherapy
or any other help. Furthermore, there had not been a considerable
decrease in the amount of crime of violence while death penalty
was put into practise.
One the other hand, it can be argued that governments are doing
these criminals a favor by putting them into jails and providing
food and place to live instead of executing. They also say that the
economy of the nations are effected in the negative way.
Nowadays, most nations' governemtns are complaining about the
crowd of criminals and having difficulties to provide place for
more. However, supporting to execute some criminals in order to
make room for more does not include a rational point of view.
Putting criminals into jails is already an effective way to punish
them. Depending on the 'severity'(not sure this is the right word) of
the crime, they might be sentenced to live there for the rest of their
lives. Not supporting capital punishment does mean to protect the
criminals. Moreover executing them wwill not make our lives
more secure. Our lives will still be secure as long as they are not in
social life untill they are aware what they have done wrong.
Sometimes it not even enough.
(Internet)?
were even crushed to death slowly under heavy weight. Crime was
more common at that time than it is now. Evidence shows
execution does not act as a deterrent to capital punishment.
10) Race plays a role in determining who lives and who dies:
The race of the victim and the race of the defendant in capital cases
are major factors in determining who is sentenced to die in this
country. In 1990 a report from the General Accounting Office
concluded that "in 82 percent of the studies [reviewed], race of the
victim was found to influence the likelihood of being charged with
capital murder or receiving the death penalty, i.e. those who
murdered whites were more likely to be sentenced to death than
those who murdered blacks."
penalty case than the facts of the crime itself. The death penalty is
a lethal lottery: of the 22,000 homicides committed every year
approximately 150 people are sentenced to death.
The police chiefs were evenly split between those stating that a
lack of law enforcement resources was a serious problem (49%)
and those who thought it was at most a minor problem (50%).
About 45% of the police chiefs stated that the availability of too
many guns was a serious problem. Interestingly, most of the chiefs
did not see gangs as a major problem in their efforts. Only 7%
reported that gangs were one of their top two or three problems.
Other areas which were cited as major problems included crowded
courts and slow justice. On the other hand, ineffective prosecution
killed as Karachi.
A recent study of the deterrence value of the death penalty
published in the Journal of Social Issues surveyed a 13-year period
of police homicides. The researchers concluded: "We find no
consistent evidence that capital punishment influenced police
killings . . . . Police do not appear to have been afforded an added
measure of protection against homicide by capital punishment."
Gun Control:
In a nation with over 200 million firearms, gun control is also a
priority among many law enforcement agencies. About 45% of
police chiefs listed the easy availability of guns as a major problem
in fighting crime, though only 38% thought that reducing the
number of guns would have a big impact on crime. The
International Association of Chiefs of Police, the largest such
organization in the world, called for strict control of certain
weapons: "The deadly flow of military assault-type automatic and
semi-automatic weapons onto the streets of America and into the
hands of violent criminals means that all too frequently the
superior firepower belongs to the criminals, not law enforce-ment."
They called for a complete ban: Manufacture and sale of assault
weapons to the general public should be prohibited. Other police
organizations have also supported tighter gun controls.
Many politicians say the death penalty would help us in Karachi by
deterring would-be killers. I believe it would make things worse
because it is another instruction in brutality. . . . Cities that resumed
executions averaged three times as many police officers killed than
have been killed in other part of the country. How can anyone
Banning the manufacture, sale and possession of all semiautomatic assault weapons and their component parts.
Reduce unemployment
Endorsements:
Saleem Naz
S.H.O
Malir Cant PS
Raja Mushtaque
S.H.O
Defence PS
Hassan Shah Rashdi
Former S.H.O
SohrabGoth PS
Aman ullah Marwat
S.H.O
Gulshan-e-Maymaar PS
Asim-ur-Rehman
S.H.O
Malir City PS
Saleem A. Siddiqui
D.S.P
Azizabad
Jabbar Qaim Khani
D.S.P
Ibrahim Hyderi
Qamar Ahmed
SPO
Clifton
Khurram Warsi
SP
Korangi
Ch.Pervaiz Akhtar
SPO
Saddar Town
Ch.Ahsen Umar
SSP
East
Asim Qaim Khani
SSP
Central
Naeem Sheikh
SSP
South
CONCLUSION:
My research on issues on the death penalty is one of the most
debatable in the criminal justice system. Today, there are many
pros and cons to this death penalty issues. However, if people
weigh the arguments properly, and have empathy for the victims,
they will be more inclined to favor capital punishment. As a
matter of fact, most people in the U.S. today are in favor of it. But
we need more states to enforce the death penalty.
As you may have read in the arguments, the death penalty help to
curtail future murderers, thus, we can save more lives. The
chances of murdering an innocent man is very minute.
My Opinion
In my opinion, I am in favor of the death penalty, because we can
save innocent lives. Life to me is scared as one of the victim's
family member stated. My innocent nephew, who was brutally
murdered by a shot gun to the chest, did not have a choice to make
a last statement or make a will before he died. The people on death
row can watch T.V. and enjoy their lives for another 20 years
before they are executed. They can prepare their death by making
a will and a last statement. But the murder is still unsolved, and
the killer is enjoying his life somewhere. The murderer(s) will
probably murder another person some day.
I heard on the news last month, February 2000, where a 62 yearold grandmother, Betty Beets, was pleading for her life because
she was on death row and was going to be executed. At first, I felt
very sorry for her, but after doing research on her, I learned she had
five husbands. She had already killed the fourth one, and served a
prison sentence for murder, and she got out of prison early. She
murdered the fifth husband-she shot him, and buried him in her
back yard. Betty Beets was imprisoned a second time, and now
was pleading for her life? It has been proven these killers do it
again and again. The rate of recidivism is high for people who
commit murder and crimes. I feel murderers should be executed
the first time because chances are they will come out of prison and
kill another innocent person again. We need stricter laws and swift
death penalty.
There are too many stories like these where people deserve the
death penalty for killing other people. If they are released from
prison, they will kill other innocent lives again.
I believe life is sacred, therefore, one who takes a life should have
his own life taken away, too.
The laws today are too lenient. If there is no death penalty in your
state, and a criminal kills someone, it is because he felt he could
get out in 10 years or less from prison. There is no fear of death for
him. They see other murderers in the state get away with murder,
so they, too, can get away with it. They dont have to fear the
death penalty. In fact, I read where a husband intentionally moved
to a non death penalty state, so he could murder his wife and get
away with it. Many murders are premeditated. People in the heat
of passion should make it a point to evade the argument or the
environment. Remember it could be one of your loved ones. Can
you imagine what it would be like to have your loved one
murdered? There are no words that can explain the loss of your
loved one to murder.