The Death Penalty in Decline Essay - 716 Words

The Death Penalty in Decline The United States adopted the capital punishment from England for more than three centuries ago. Not only had the punishment been adopted but also the methods of execution. Throughout centuries, the people of the United States became more aware of how the criminal justice system functions and varies from one state to another. Some states used to execute people who commit minor offenses, such as stealing fruits. Maybe people would disagree with me, but I believe that the death penalty helped in preventing criminals from committing certain capital crimes. Even though the U.S. Supreme Court abolished the death penalty for mentally handicapped and juvenile, the amount of executions seems hard to be stabilized.†¦show more content†¦Nationwide, based on the Death Penalty Information Center Database, five hundred fifty-nine people were executed between 1981 and 1999 (1). Equally important, the number is declining in some states. Probably because the Uni ted States Supreme Court abolished the possibility of sentencing juveniles and mentally handicapped to death. Instead, the Supreme Court gave the jury permission to use the punishment of life in prison as an alternative. For this reason, In Texas, the number of death sentences imposed each year dropped by about 50 percent after jurors were given the life-without –parole option in 2005, a trend that has been mirrored throughout the United States (Gaines and Miller 277). Despite the dropping of rate of executions, not all states seem to be benefiting from it. Indeed, the decision was made in 2005 the same year in which four executions took place in the State of Ohio. So based on the DPIC database, five people were executed in 2006, five executions in 2009, and eight during 2010 (1). On the state level, these numbers show that although the United States Supreme Court cancelled the death row for juvenile and mentally handicapped, the number of executions seems hard to be stabilized at lower rates. Although the list of crimes that are punishable by death used to include minor offenses which possibly raised the number of executions on the nationalShow MoreRelatedCapital Punishment During The Colonial Era1165 Words   |  5 PagesBritain was the biggest influence on America when it came to utilizing the death penalty. The death penalty was used for minor offenses such as stealing, killing animals, and trading with Indians. As the late 1700s approached, a movement towards abolishing the death penalty began. Beccaria wrote an essay in 1767 called â€Å"Crimes and Punishment,† that had a significant impact on the world’s opinion towards the death penalty (Bohm,1999). 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