The Death Penalty is Never Justifiable

Since the early beginnings of the criminal justice system, the death penalty has had its place as a form of punishment for heinous criminals. It was wrong 100 years ago, it is wrong today, and it always will be. So why do 75% of Americans support it? Because they believe it is cheap, serves justice, and is fair. These are simply not the facts. These are fallacies fed to the American public through the government and the media. The death penalty is just plain wrong. It causes many ill effects upon society, and shatters many innocent people's lives.�

Some people support the death penalty, believing that it is cheaper than keeping an inmate imprisoned for life. Nationally, it costs approximately 3.2 million dollars to execute someone, compared to approximately $600,000.00 to keep them in prison for life. In the State of Florida, 51 million dollars per year would be saved if the death penalty did not exist, and all eligible offenders were instead sentenced to life in prison. The death penalty is not cheap, and the costs associated with it are growing rapidly. The death penalty causes a huge financial burden on society, and takes funds away from other much needed programs.�