Death Penalty - Research Paper Example

The objectives attained through capital punishment can be obtained easily through life in prison without parole. This paper argues that life in prison is a cheaper and morally acceptable way of punishment than the death penalty.

“According to a study by the Indiana Criminal Law Study Commission released in 2002, executions cost the state 38 percent more than the costs of keeping an inmate incarcerated for life” (Capital Punishment - The Costs of Capital Punishment). Many other states in America also released similar reports with respect to the expenses of capital punishment. Billions of Dollars are spent yearly for implementing capital punishment in America. Normal court procedures are impossible in death penalty cases. The court needs to double confirm that the criminal is eligible for the death penalty because of the value associated with human life. “The essence of the American criminal justice system is that “partisan advocacy of both sides on a case will promote the ultimate objective that the guilty be convicted and the innocent go free” (Ferdic et al, p.37).

So, before implementing the death penalty, the criminal went through a series of expensive trial procedures including state and federal supreme courts. The criminal can question the punishment several times in different courts before the final judgment of the Supreme Court. All these court procedures are highly expensive because of the various expensive services (Smart advocates, Forensic experts, Investigating officers, witnesses, etc) needed for it. The money needed for the court procedures of the death penalty cases is collected from the taxpayer’s pocket. The death penalty is believed to be around 70% more expensive than other ways of punishment.

The ultimate aim of giving the death penalty is to avoid the threat of hardcore criminals to society. The above objective can be easily achieved with the help of punishment like life in prison without parole. It is quite possible that the criminal justice system may commit errors in its judgments even after lengthy trial procedures. In other words, the chances of an innocent getting capital punishment cannot be neglected. Under such circumstances, it is more logical to prohibit the death penalty completely to avoid mistakes when we consider the fact that we cannot give life to a person who is executed. By avoiding capital punishment, the criminal justice system or the government can save huge money and at the same time make sure that the most valued thing in the universe (the life of humans) has been given all the moral respect it deserves.