The death penalty should be abolished

"One thing that I didn't bring up is that when someone is arrested, they are handcuffed and disarmed, giving the disability to shoot policemen. If they are found guilty and sent to prison for life, they have nothing to use as a weapon." Are you implying that this makes them less of a danger to the prison population? Do you know what a shiv is? The public defender issue is an extremely valid one however that is an issue with the public defender system and the criminal justice system as a whole. These same overworked underpaid attorneys are also working lesser criminal cases in every aspect of the criminal justice system. Abolishing the death penalty would not solve this issue. Do we just rid the criminal justice system all together? The issue of public defenders is a big one and you may consider doing a separate debate on it as you have some excellent points about it. In response to your statement "instead of deterring crime because of such a horrendous punishment, it can actually increase murder rates...". No punishment is going to fully prevent crime. Just like under age laws and the threat of juvy aren't keeping teenagers from drinking and smoking (present company excluded I hope). In 1972 the year the supreme court suspended capital punishment the number of murders nation wide was at 18,670. That number jumped up to 19,640 in '73, 20,710 in '74 and 20,510 in '75. In 1976 when the death penalty was reinstated that number fell back down to 18,780. "...it can actually increase murder rates...". I do not assert that these numbers are proof of the death penalty is a perfect deterrent. They do however tell me that the death penalty doesn't lead to MORE murder. http://www.ucrdatatool.gov... http://www.disastercenter.com... I just hit on the supreme court's suspending and reinstating of the death penalty. When the supreme court ruled to suspend capital punishment it was done so in response to Furman v Georgia on the grounds that the means (not the act of putting criminals to death itself) was inhumane and violated the eighth amendment. which you hit on previously. The supreme court has never found the death penalty itself to be unconstitutional. In fact the supreme court has made many rulings since 1976 to ensure protection of eighth amendment rights of those on death row. The 1976 Gregg v Georgia decision gave way to the multi part system of sentencing in capital punishment cases where a jury decides guilt and then another determines sentencing (whether to impose death penalty in a murder case). This decision also reinstated the death penalty. Coker v Georgia (1977) and Kenneddy v Louisiana (2008) essentially made it to wherew only those convicted of murder (for the most part) could be put to death. More recently, Atkins v Virginia (2002) along with Roper v Simmons (2005) held that only mentally competent adults could face the death penalty. While our Supreme Court has made many rulings to attempt to make the death penalty as humane as possible, never has the highest court in the land found it to be unlawful or unconstitutional. http://www.oyez.org... http://www.oyez.org... http://www.oyez.org... http://www.oyez.org... http://www.oyez.org... http://www.oyez.org... Many of the issues you have brought up, while extremely good points, are more of an issue with the Criminal justice system as a whole or that of cruel and unusual punishment. I hope you engage in more debates and projects around this topic because the system is in desperate need of reform. We have had issues in this country with some of the drugs we have been using. To me, this says we need to find a new method of execution to ensure their eighth amendment rights are protected. A single bullet to the back of the head would be quick, painless and cost effective (I believe you raised the issue of money earlier) albeit a bit messier. Not saying that is the best alternative. As long as the prisoner does not suffer there is no legal or constitutional standing to abolish the death penalty. The Supreme Court has supported this by it's decisions to reinstate the death penalty and to modify the way it is carried out.