Death Penalty Should be Banned Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Death Penalty Should be Banned - Essay Example It aims at deterring others from committing similar crimes. Death penalty has been in existence for a long time and it is surprising that such a barbaric and inhumane act is still enduring in the apparently civilized world we live in today. This paper discusses why death penalty should be banned and whether it has been successful in reducing the rates of crimes that it is meant to deter. Since life is extremely valuable, no crime is significant enough to demand a deliberate and â€Å"lawful† murder of any individual. Death penalty should thus be banned and all laws that permit it should be exterminated. Several studies have proved that death penalty is unsuccessful in reducing crime rates. The main goal of capital punishment is to set an example for prospective criminals and to instill the fear that they will meet the same end for their crimes. Capital punishment thus aims at deterring any future crimes. However, it seems to have failed in achieving its objectives. According to statistics published by the Death Penalty Information Center, murder rates in death penalty states are higher than in non-death penalty states. The murder rate in death penalty states in 1990 was 9.5 while it was 9.16 in the non-death penalty states. By 2009, the murder rates in death penalty states came down to 5.26 and to 3.90 in non-death penalty states.