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The Death Penalty : The Ultimate Sanction

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The Death Penalty: The Ultimate Sanction

Paul Domigan
Sociology 101
Bunker Hill Community College pdomigan@bhcc.edu Page 1
The Death Penalty: The Ultimate Sanction
Paul Domigan
Bunker Hill Community College pdomigan@bhcc.edu Overview

The death penalty, or capital punishment, has always been a topic of much debate in the United States. There are those who support it and those who oppose it, and each side has their fair share of points being made, backed by supportive evidence. The topics range from the morality of this punishment, including the methods of execution as well as fairness issues in regards to sex and race. The first issue that will be addressed is in regards to the death penalty working to prevent violent crimes.

There are 34 states that currently have the death penalty, as well as the U.S. Military, and the federal government. The most frequently used method is that of lethal injection, but several states allow the use of lethal gas, electrocution, and under certain circumstances, the use of a firing squad or even hanging. With all of this being known, does the death penalty do anything to prevent these crimes from being committed in the first place? Most criminal justice experts say that it’s just not possible to prove whether or not having the death penalty in place will prevent or deter violent crime from being committed in the first place. (Parks, 8)
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The Death Penalty: The Ultimate Sanction
Paul Domigan
Bunker Hill Community

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