U.S. Department of Justice. (1999). Report of Prison Statistics [Online].

Available: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/prisons.htm

Bureau of Justice Statistics. (1999). State Prison Expenditures [Online].

Available: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (1999). Uniform Crime Reports [Online].

Available: http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm

Vital Statistics of the U.S. (1980-1999). Homicide Victimization Rates [Online].

Available: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/d_vrtsanm.htm

Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2000). Capital Punishment Statistics [Online].

Available: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/cp.htm

An Argument in Defense of Capital Punishment

In this paper I am going to defend the thesis that capital punishment is just under certain circumstances. In defending this t

hesis it is necessary to define both what capital punishment is and under what circumstances it is warranted.

Another common argument against the use of capitol punishment is that the criminal justice system is unjust towards minorities in capital cases. A common thought is that minorities, namely African-Americans, are more likely to be put to death than Caucasians. A common support of this argument is that racial prejudices are still the predominant attitude in the law enforcement community.

Capitol punishment also serves as a deterrent for murder. Homicide rates rose after the U.S. Supreme Courts 1972 case decision of Furman v. Georgia abolished the death penalty. The homicide rate continued to rise even after the 1976 Supreme Court ruling to reinstate capital punishment. The homicide rate peaked in 1980 at 10 per 100,000 according to the homicide victimization rates based on information from the Vital Statistics of the United States. Homicide rates have been declining since 1980. This demonstrates that less people where murdered after capital punishment was reinstated, thereby reinforcing my argument. As in any social issues, there will be opposing opinions as to the validity of capital punishment.

Secondly, I would like to address the argument that the criminal justice system is unjust towards minorities, namely African-Americans. It would have to be argued that the proponents of this objection believe that African-Americans or other minorities are subject to capitol punishment more often that Caucasians. Other wise it would be just. The U.S. Department of Justice reported that African-Americans commit eight times more homicides than Caucasians. However, Caucasian inmates have made up the majority of those sentenced to death since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976. This is evidence that the criminal justice system is not biased towards Caucasians in capital punishment. This legal debate leads to the next popular objection to capital punishment.

The popular objection of capitol punishment being in violation of the Constitutional right against cruel and unusual punishment is unwarranted. The highest court in the land, the U.S. Supreme Court, is empowered by the Constitution to interpret the Constitution. Since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing states to use capital punishment it cannot be unconstitutional. Considering the measures taken by states to ensure the prisoners be executed in a manner which is as humane and dignified as possible, it is reasonable to say their lives are ended with a great deal less pain and humiliation as their victims.

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