Essay: Abolishing The Death Penalty

In 1608, the first use of capital punishment was recorded in the colonies, which started debates that have lasted centuries. In the following years, the use of the death penalty was common and the numbers of people executed skyrocketed. However, by the late eighteenth century, states began making capital punishment legal for only first-degree murder charges. Afterwards, private executions were provided, making pro-death penalty people fear that the crime rate would increase due to the lack of a deterrent. Two hundred years after the first execution, Michigan became the first state to abolish the death penalty which spurred other states to do the same. Now, nineteen states have abolished use of capital punishment (Heather and Newton).
The death penalty is a solution to the problems surrounding punishment of the worst criminals, but now it is a problem in itself. …show more content…
Instead, people who commit crimes that are worthy of the death penalty should face life imprisonment without parole. The inmates would have to live their entire lives with the guilt of taking someone’s life. This would save the country an estimated $63 million that could then go to helping solve unsolved cases and to helping the families of those affected by crime. In addition, the government would not have to worry about executing innocent people or dealing with botched executions. Even some families of murder victims believe that the death penalty should be abolished. They believe that it is better for the murderer to suffer his entire life in prison and that the murderer should live with his guilt. The death penalty can sometimes prolong the suffering of the family (Jolly et al). In all, the death penalty should be abolished because of the overall high cost, the possibility of executing an innocent person, and the risk of having a botched