P6+ACorrea

Correa, Angelica Period 6
 * __Death Penalty__**

How many innocent people do you think get killed by the death penalty? According to recent studies 416 innocent people have been killed since the 1900’s. Other recent studies have also proved that 120 people have been released from death row since 1973 because of recent evidence that shows they are innocent. Many people are against the death penalty for many reasons that will be stated in this essay. The death penalty actually cost more than keeping criminal behind bars for life. Having the death penalty costs 114 million dollars per year, which is way beyond the cost of keeping convict locked up for life. Tax payers also have to pay more than 250 million dollars for each state’s eleventh execution. So what do you prefer to pay less and have them in jail for life or to pay even more money to put them to death? The death penalty is also very cruel and unusual in many different ways. For example some of the things that make it cruel are the lethal injection, Electrocution, The Gas Chamber, Hanging, and the Firing Squad. Thirty-seven states use the lethal injection as their primary method of killing people. All these punishments are very cruel and unusual because the victims are actually felling the thing being done to them. The death is bad because you don’t really know if the person is guilty or if he/she is innocent. Since the 1900-1989, 350 cases were erroneously convicted of capital crime. Twenty-four of them were innocent but were killed before they figured out they were innocent. Also, 120 people have been released from the death row with evidence of their innocence. From 2000-2004 there has been 35 people were released from death row. Now with all these innocent people being killed or being released from death row do you still believe the Death Penalty is only for innocent people. Well we all know that the Death penalty is equal to every one right? Well that is actually not true because only 54 women have been on Death row as of July 1, 2005. Only 11 women have been executed since 1976. This only makes 1.58% of the total Death row population. The death penalty is also unfair between whites and blacks. Twelve white men have been executed for interracial murders. On the other hand 208 black men have been executed for interracial murders. The last reason the death penalty is also bad is that GOD is the only how can take life away for you or give it to you. The only one who should be able to take life from you should be GOD. Many people are against the death penalty for many reasons which were stated in this essay. Now, knowing all these things about the death penalty maybe you should consider your position on the death penalty.