Capital Punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Capital Punishment - Essay Example Japan and the United States are some of the developed countries that are still practicing capital punishment. In Africa, Congo’s executions were rising at an alarming rate by 2003. There needs to be a change since capital punishment adversely affects the families of the victim. Capital punishment is reprisal through meting out a death sentence to the offender. In the criminal justice systems of many countries, it is lawful to inflict death to lawbreakers, depending on the weight of the crime. It is an act of ensuring that individuals suffer for engaging in activities that are against the law. In the criminal justice systems of many countries, it is lawful to inflict death to lawbreakers, depending on the weight of the crime. In the United States, death penalty is usually held in reserve for first-degree murder crimes which in most cases are associated with horrific circumstances such as bombing and killing a large number of people. It was mostly used in the ancient times, although many countries still use capital punishment (Steven 2007; Katrina and Steve 2008). In a broader perspective, it can be argued that capital punishment involves taking the life of another person. In doing so, it should not be forgotten that the victim has certain responsibilities t hat he/she leaves behind after an execution. The most important of all are the family members left behind. Frustration and grief overcome them with a number of suicide cases being reported after a death sentence. People have had different views concerning capital punishment, with some viewing it as a deterrent to crime, while others find no accomplishment in it. This paper is a critical investigation of capital punishment. The history of capital punishment has been discussed and its application in today’s society. Several states where it is applied on lawbreakers have been highlighted as well as how it is applied. The paper presents a discussion on the system of capital punishment, and its