The Death Penalty: Changing America's Criminal Justice System

There are things that people hear about but never see- the death penalty is one of these things. The results of the death penalty includes a lifeless body and a constant debate of America’s criminal justice system’s decision. The questions that most people often ask run on the lines of “Are there any crimes so grave, or any criminals so evil, that death is the only just punishment? Is it right for the state, acting in our name, to put criminals to death?” (Banner 1963). Though these questions have not directly been answered, people have chosen sides on the ‘death penalty debate’. The death penalty has it’s pros, cons, and heartless deaths of the inmates who used to inhibit death row. With the quantity of those whose voices ached to be heard changes have been made to the death penalty, but will it be enough to change the justice system’s actions? The death penalty came to the Americas after the thirteen colonies were created by english colonists. The court ruling system carried over from England, causing crimes like treason, murder, rape, robbery, manslaughter, burglary, counterfeiting, and …show more content…
These individuals feel as though the morality with these processions are bias and unfair, as “death sentences are imposed in a criminal justice system that treats you better if you are rich and guilty than if you are poor and innocent” (ProCon 2009). In contrast to those who think offenders get what they deserve, those who are against the act label it as revenge instead of retribution. Though this act is known to provide closure for the families offended, these individuals feel as though the death penalty is just “expressing one’s violence simply reinforces the desire to express it” (ProCon 2009). Lastly anti-death penalty individuals believe that the majority of those getting sentenced the death penalty are the poor, as they believe that they cannot afford to get a good defense team (ProCon