Capital Punishment In Truman Capote's In Cold Blood

The morality of the death penalty has long been, and still is a controversial topic in the United States. People have been debating for centuries whether or not this form of punishment should exist. Those supporting it have claimed that the death penalty acts as a deterrent of future crimes. On the other hand, those against it have disproved this claim. Studies show that capital punishment should not be used in the United States, since it does not act as a deterrent, certain groups are more likely to be sentenced to death, and it does not offer closure for families. The problems with the death penalty have been highlighted in many articles and books throughout history, including Truman Capote’s novel In Cold Blood. His view that murderers such as Dick and Perry don’t deserve the death penalty highlights the immorality and injustice of this grotesque act. …show more content…
In other words, the severity of the death penalty will make criminals want to avoid it. However, the statistics tell a different story. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the rates of murder, one of the most common violent crimes in the U.S., are higher in states using capital punishment than the ones that aren’t (Deterrence). While the general trend of murder rates has been a downwards one, there’s still a significant percentage difference in the statistics (peak difference was 46% in 2005). This evidence shows that the idea that capital punishment is a deterrent is false. Therefore, a logical next step would be to completely stop the use of this penalty in the country, since the states that don’t use it have, to a certain extent, deterred criminals from committing a violent