The Death Penalty is not an Effective Punishment Essay - 9

The Death Penalty is not an Effective Punishment - Essay Example Counterargument to refute the first argument: the claim that death penalty deters crime is a mere presumption, with no scientific proof. A number of studies have shown that death penalty does not deter crime. Hence, the first argument is incorrect. Counterargument in refutation of the second argument: death penalty does not ensure justice for the offended party because by killing the offender, the offended party does not get back what they were deprived of. Again, death penalty may be not the gravest form of punishment. Third argument by the proponents of my view: death penalty is an effective form of punishment because it prevents overpopulation of prisons; death penalty also prevents the criminals of grave crimes from committing crimes while in prison, or breaking from the prison to commit crimes outside the prison. Counterargument to refute the third argument: although jailing of criminals guilty of grave crimes may provide the criminals with some possibilities of committing more crimes in future, with proper preventive measures in place, however, the possibilities of committing more crimes by the prisoners will be quite minimal. Death penalty is undoubtedly one of the oldest and most common forms of punishment meted out against heinous and grave crimes in many cultures and world civilizations. In USA, for instance, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in the year 2009 alone, 52 inmates were executed. The advocates of death punishment also contend that death punishment is the most effective form.