... of capital punishment in many countries including Australia. The deterrence theory proposes that a sane person will avoid criminal behavior if the severities of the punishment are greater than the benefits of the illegal act. It is believed that fear of execution discourages people from committing crimes. Studies of the deterrent effect of ... justify the most severe punishment. Whole life imprisonment could fit the bill for the worst murderers with suitable graduations for less awful murderers. Imprisonment whilst expensive and largely pointless except as means of removing criminals from...

• Word Count: 3217
• Approx Pages: 13
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... 3) "Despite some two-hundred years of debate, capital punishment remains one of the most hotly contested and widely discussed topics of bother public and academic discourse. Scarcely a week goes by without a new political or legal issue, murder case or impending execution fuelling the fires of controversy." (Smith 235) The death penalty has been the subject of many debates over its ethics, practicality ... bill before the Massachusetts legislature and warned at a press conference that for a Catholic to support the death penalty would be "wrong, morally evil and a sin."" (Gross 28) Aboliti...

• Word Count: 3235
• Approx Pages: 13
• Grade Level: High School