The Death Penalty Essay -- capital punishment, death penalty

As of January 1, 2010, 3,261 people live on death row (â€Å"Death†). Fewer than 3,261 people live in my small town of Belle Plaine, so to me this number is outrageous. Inmates that wait on the death penalty jail create a problem for everyone in the country. If we would put these inmates through the death penalty quickly, we could take the problem away from the country. Why do we keep murderers and criminals on death row around? People argue the controversial topic of the death penalty very thoroughly, and address all sides. On one side people argue that we would save money and the death penalty sets an example for other criminals, while on the opposition people argue that life without parole is cheaper, capital punishment is morally wrong, and innocent people mistakenly are killed. The United States abolished the death penalty, also called capital punishment, in 1963. Throughout the 1960s, the Supreme Court battled many cases involving whether the death penalty should be allowed. The Supreme Court finally ruled in 1976 that the death penalty be enforced by the states that wanted it and not enforced by those who do not want it. Currently in the United States, thirty-five states have the death penalty, while fifteen do not. Even though some states have the death penalty, seven states have not performed any executions. Seventy percent of the public approves of the death penalty to be enforced throughout the states (Robinson). I also support the death penalty, and I think the death penalty should be enforced for many cases. Capital punishment would save money throughout the nation. Ten years ago, the average cost for an inmate was $22,650, and now ten years later the cost has only risen. (Stephan). This $22,650 may not... ... Richard Dieter. Death Penalty Information Center. N.p., 2010.Web. 28 April 2011. â€Å"Death Row Inmates by State.† Chart. DeathPenalty.org. N.p., 20 September 2010. Web. 25 April 2011. Feingold, Russ. â€Å"Irrevocable Mistakes.† ProCon.org. 7 Feb. 2007. Web. 28 April 2011. â€Å"Number of Executions.† Chart. DeathPenalty.org. N.p., 20 September 2010. Web. 28 April 2011. Sharp, Dudley. â€Å"Cost of Death Penalty vs. Life in Prison.† ProCon.org. 1 Oct. 1997. Web. 26 April 2011. Robinson, B.A. â€Å"Part 1: Death Penalty Data.† ReligiousTolerance.org. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance., 7 Dec. 2009. Web. 25 April 2011. Stephan, James J. â€Å"The High Cost of Imprisonment in America.† Noor’s List. Tina Dorsey and Tom Hester., June 2004. Web. 26 April 2011. â€Å"Top 10 Pros and Cons: Should the Death Penalty Be Allowed?† ProCon.org. N.p., 14 April 2009. Web. 26 April 2011.