Capital Punishment

8 Pages 1901 Words

ed as a lawful means of punishment in 143 countries including Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the United States. Gas Chamber, firing squad, hanging, guillotine, and garroting were some of the methods of execution used. The methods nowadays are certainly different (Mostly lethal injection, Electric chair) but the objective and goal has remained the same.

The death penalty was first used in the United States of America when Daniel Frank was put to death in 1622. He was convicted of theft in the Colony of Virginia. From that time on, capital punishment has almost always been a feature of the criminal justice system in the United States.

America's practice of capital punishment came to a temporary halt in 1972. In the controversial decision of Furman v. Georgia, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the nation's death penalty, in its current form, violated the Constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. However, a Supreme Court decision in 1975, Gregg vs. Georgia, stated capital punishment did not violate the eighth Amendment rights, and the executions began again under state supervision. Since then more and more states have resorted to capital punishment for serious offenses such as murder. According to Horwirz, “The use of the death penalty has actually declined throughout the industrial Western World since the 19th century. Criticisms aside, the death penalty is well-supported by the U.S. public. All but twelve states currently impose the death penalty and almost three of four Americans polled s...