Why do some states have the death penalty?

Answer 1

There are a couple of different arguments that are used for keeping the death penalty. Deterrence used to be the most popular, and is still fairly popular although it seems to be in decline. Some argue that capital punishment should be threatened rarely because threatening it too often and for too many crimes would be counter productive. For example, if burglary was punishable by death then there would be incentive to kill witnesses. However, if only murder is punishable by death, the burglar has an incentive to make sure not to kill anyone while committing their crime. Another argument is incapacitation, that the dead can no longer harm anyone. Ernest van den Haag discusses this in Ch.5 Justice Deterrence and the Death Penalty, in America's Experiment with Capital Punishment. Retribution is the argument that seems to be most on the rise. There is a good write up of this argument on Wikipedia's page Capital Punishment Debate, and it cites several reputable death penalty scholars such as Hugo A. Bedau.

Answer 2

To reduce crime

Another View: Because the citizens of that state choose to keep the death penalty as an alternative to a sentence of life in prison. If and when the citizens, as represented by their legislature, feel differently they can have the option of repealing the law.

Answer 3

Typically supporters of capital punishment hold that the purposes for its existence are:

-Retribution

-Deterrence

-Prevention of repetitive criminal acts

-Encouragement of guilty pleas and confessions

-Eugenics

-Economy

Answer 4

Capital punishment is viewed as necessary means to reach a higher social goal : to set the example and maintain a deterring effect. The famous joke "some people are alive only because people is illegal to kill them" surely carries some element of truth.

Answer 5

Capital punishment is supposed to be enforced to do away with the evil

desires abnd traits which are acted out by people who do not have a regard for

another person s life. In biblical days; the whole tribe or village elders gave the command to "stone" the murderer.

In today's world; especially in most parts of the United States murderers miss the judgment of the death penalty because of "plea bargaining", reason for

"insanity", the murderer was on drugs, have a low I.Q, didn't have a stable or a productive home environment- any excuse to keep the murderer alive.

These murderers do 20 years; let go on good behavior or so-called

rehabilitated, and are set free and sometimes after even 20 years return to

society and do the same murder all over again.

These murderers while in prison brag about their murders and the method they use to snuff out a person's life, the look in the person's eye who they killed,

or the pleas and cries of the helpless as they kill their victim.

While in prison; some murderers get paided to tell their side of the story

while they get a fat paycheck or their testimony is used by criminologist or

psychologist to open new avenues as to how the mind of a murderer works.

Added: SHORT ANSWER - Because (in the US) it is the "will of the majority of people" that the death sentence remain in effect. Only if, and when, the majority of the citizens want it done away with, will the elected representatives who still remain faithful to the will of their constituents, rescind it. That's the beauty of "representative" government. . . . when it works.

Answer 6

I genuinely don't know, typically they are religious and conservative states and even though one of the 10 Commandments is 'Thou shall not kill' they still do it. I guess it is a form of an eye for an eye or something like that.

Answer 7

You shouldn't, period. It's not only inhumane but expensive.