Death Penalty Ethical Issues

The death penalty is by far one of the most debated issues in the United States with each side vigorously claiming to be correct. However, even if you adamantly believe in the death penalty it is never an easy answer or a comfortable one. It is emotionally difficult to sentence someone to death. When tasked with the job of sentencing someone to death, jurors consider if rehabilitation is possible or did the defendant demonstrate remorse for their actions? (Grabowski, 1999, p.7) Even when these issues are taken into consideration, there are still reservations about sentencing someone to die. The death penalty is not only an issue in our judicial system, but is also an important issue in religious and ethical debates because it raises questions about life and death, good and evil, individual choice, and public good. (Stearman, 2008, p.12) In this aspect, some use the Old Testament to support punishment and retribution that is associated with the death penalty in the adage, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” We must also consider the death penalty in a human-rights issue in relation to the responsibilities the government has toward their people and …show more content…
These cons range from executing an innocent person, violation of human rights laws by way of cruel and unusual punishment, and its arbitrary administration. When it comes to the death penalty there is no room for error. What if an executed person later turns out to be innocent, or new circumstances cast doubt on this person’s guilt? In the state of Illinois there were 13 death-row prisoners who were found to have been not guilty between 1977-2000. (Stearman, 2008, p.19) This means there is a high probability that innocent people may be wrongly executed. We also face the issue of people confessing to crimes they did not actually commit due to being confused or distressed or even having confessions forced from them by the