CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: For It or Against It? Some people feel that the death penalty is a good thing for our law enforcement because it helps to lessen potential crime. People know that if they kill someone, they will be severely punished, while other people think that it may be a form of revenge. It is a way for society to say that human life is precious, and that we will not tolerate criminal actions that take a person's life. Serious crimes deserve harsh punishments, but the death penalty contradicts what we have been taught all along, which is, "two wrongs don't make a right". I feel the death penalty is wrong because certain individuals can be wrongfully accused and be put to death, only later to be found innocent. There have been a total of 69 innocent people who have been executed in this century alone. Do you realize that a total of 74 people have been released from death row, after evidence of their innocence? (Shapiro 22-4). Out of the 3,517 condemned prisoners on death row, 21 prisoners have been released over the past 25 years. Illinois alone has exonerated nine men alone. One of these cases was discovered through the normal appeals process and others by outsider's help, but most are by scientific techniques (Shapiro 22-24). There are a lot of holes in the justice system. If there is a chance someone could be innocent, then I feel that the death penalty should not be used. If you were innocent and you were executed, officials would not be able to bring you back. They are only going to give restitution to your family, but it does not get rid of the hurt that your family feels. To me, rather than executing a person, you should put them in jail without parole, because people think that jail is a free ride, but it is not. Putting someone to death is definitely not the solution. It lets them off the hook too easily. I would rather see criminals have to suffer in jail without parole so they can...
