Death Penalty: Cruel And Unusual Punishment

Federal and state governments have experienced a significant discrepancy in the practice of criminality reprimand. The definition of “cruel and unusual punishments” has been subjectively determined, leaving the decision of what constitutes as cruel or unusual to each state in America. This debacle results in thirty-two states allowing the death penalty, while eighteen states believe the death penalty contradicts the civil rights and liberties of its citizens. The Eighth Amendment, which states, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted,” has been cited often in regards to the legality of a death penalty . Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment is also mentioned during debates. States have the power to decide if a death penalty should be …show more content…
I, however, regard the inanity of such a statement with an emphasis on the infringement of the deceased’s rights and liberties, how their suffering was both cruel and unusual. In Heather Catterton’s case, the cruelty of being strangled to death must be dealt with retributive actions 5. Criminals must not be given the opportunities that were so unjustly taken away from their victims. Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin, J. Budiziszewski, agrees that “deserved punishment protects society morally by restoring this just order, making the wrongdoer pay a price equivalent to the harm he has done.” The death penalty also offers a more financially efficient alternative to life-sentences. According to Dudley Sharp, Director of Death Penalty Resources at Justice for All, estimates that life-sentences costs 1.2 to 3.6 million dollars more than death penalties. Therefore, the death penalty is more economical and balanced option: "society is justly ordered when each person receives what is due to him. 3