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Argumentsinfavourofcapitalpunishment
Abreakdownoftheargumentsgiveninfavourofkeeping(orreintroducing)thedeathpenalty.

Retribution
Firstareminderofthebasicargumentbehindretributionandpunishment:
allguiltypeopledeservetobepunished
onlyguiltypeopledeservetobepunished
guiltypeopledeservetobepunishedinproportiontotheseverityoftheircrime
Thisargumentstatesthatrealjusticerequirespeopletosufferfortheirwrongdoing,andtosufferinawayappropriateforthecrime.Eachcriminalshouldgetwhat
theircrimedeservesandinthecaseofamurdererwhattheircrimedeservesisdeath.
Themeasureofpunishmentinagivencasemustdependupontheatrocityofthecrime,theconductofthecriminalandthedefencelessandunprotectedstateof
thevictim.
Impositionofappropriatepunishmentisthemannerinwhichthecourtsrespondtothesociety'scryforjusticeagainstthecriminals.
Justicedemandsthatcourtsshouldimposepunishmentbefittingthecrimesothatthecourtsreflectpublicabhorrenceofthecrime.
JusticesA.S.AnandandN.P.Singh,SupremeCourtofIndia,inthecaseofDhananjoyChatterjee
Manypeoplefindthatthisargumentfitswiththeirinherentsenseofjustice.
It'softensupportedwiththeargument"Aneyeforaneye".ButtoarguelikethatdemonstratesacompletemisunderstandingofwhatthatOldTestamentphrase
actuallymeans.InfacttheOldTestamentmeaningof"aneyeforaneye"isthatonlytheguiltyshouldbepunished,andtheyshouldpunishedneithertooleniently
ortooseverely.

Theargumentsagainstretribution
Capitalpunishmentisvengeanceratherthanretributionand,assuch,isamorallydubiousconcept
Theanticipatorysufferingofthecriminal,whomaybekeptondeathrowformanyyears,makesthepunishmentmoreseverethanjustdeprivingthecriminal
oflife

That'scertainlytrueintheUSA,butdelayisnotaninherentfeatureofcapitalpunishmentsomecountriesexecutepeoplewithindaysofsentencingthem
todeath
Somepeoplearepreparedtoargueagainstretributionasaconcept,evenwhenappliedfairly.

Deterrence
Capitalpunishmentisoftenjustifiedwiththeargumentthatbyexecutingconvictedmurderers,wewilldeterwouldbemurderersfromkillingpeople.

Theargumentsagainstdeterrence
Thestatisticalevidencedoesn'tconfirmthatdeterrenceworks(butitdoesn'tshowthatdeterrencedoesn'tworkeither)
Someofthoseexecutedmaynothavebeencapableofbeingdeterredbecauseofmentalillnessordefect
Somecapitalcrimesarecommittedinsuchanemotionalstatethattheperpetratordidnotthinkaboutthepossibleconsequences
Nooneknowswhetherthedeathpenaltydetersmorethanlifeimprisonment
Deterrenceismosteffectivewhenthepunishmenthappenssoonafterthecrimetomakeananalogy,achildlearnsnottoputtheirfingerinthefire,becausethe
consequenceisinstantpain.
Themorethelegalprocessdistancesthepunishmentfromthecrimeeitherintime,orcertaintythelesseffectiveadeterrentthepunishmentwillprobablybe.
CardinalAveryDulleshaspointedoutanotherproblemwiththedeterrenceargument.
Executions,especiallywheretheyarepainful,humiliating,andpublic,maycreateasenseofhorrorthatwouldpreventothersfrombeingtemptedtocommitsimilar
crimes...
...Inourdaydeathisusuallyadministeredinprivatebyrelativelypainlessmeans,suchasinjectionsofdrugs,andtothatextentitmaybelesseffectiveasa
deterrent.Sociologicalevidenceonthedeterrenteffectofthedeathpenaltyascurrentlypracticedisambiguous,conflicting,andfarfromprobative.
AveryCardinalDulles,CatholicismandCapitalPunishment,FirstThings2001
Someproponentsofcapitalpunishmentarguethatcapitalpunishmentisbeneficialevenifithasnodeterrenteffect.
Ifweexecutemurderersandthereisinfactnodeterrenteffect,wehavekilledabunchofmurderers.Ifwefailtoexecutemurderers,anddoingsowouldinfact
havedeterredothermurders,wehaveallowedthekillingofabunchofinnocentvictims.Iwouldmuchratherrisktheformer.This,tome,isnotatoughcall.
JohnMcAdams:MarquetteUniversity,DepartmentofPoliticalScience

Rehabilitation

Ofcoursecapitalpunishmentdoesn'trehabilitatetheprisonerandreturnthemtosociety.Buttherearemanyexamplesofpersonscondemnedtodeathtakingthe
opportunityofthetimebeforeexecutiontorepent,expressremorse,andveryoftenexperienceprofoundspiritualrehabilitation.
ThomasAquinasnotedthatbyacceptingthepunishmentofdeath,theoffenderwasabletoexpiatehisevildeedsandsoescapepunishmentinthenextlife.
Thisisnotanargumentinfavourofcapitalpunishment,butitdemonstratesthatthedeathpenaltycanleadtosomeformsofrehabilitation.

Preventionofreoffending
Itisundeniablethatthosewhoareexecutedcannotcommitfurthercrimes.
Manypeopledon'tthinkthatthisissufficientjustificationfortakinghumanlife,andarguethatthereareotherwaystoensuretheoffendersdonotreoffend,such
asimprisonmentforlifewithoutpossibilityofparole.
Althoughtherehavebeencasesofpersonsescapingfromprisonandkillingagain,theseareextremelyrare.
Butsomepeopledon'tbelievethatlifeimprisonmentwithoutparoleprotectssocietyadequately.Theoffendermaynolongerbeadangertothepublic,buthe
remainsadangertoprisonstaffandotherinmates.Executionwouldremovethatdanger.

Closureandvindication
Itisoftenarguedthatthedeathpenaltyprovidesclosureforvictims'families.
Thisisaratherflimsyargument,becauseeveryfamilyreactsdifferently.Assomefamiliesdonotfeelthatanotherdeathwillprovideclosure,theargumentdoesn't
provideajustificationforcapitalpunishmentasawhole.

Incentivetohelppolice
Pleabargainingisusedinmostcountries.It'stheprocessthroughwhichacriminalgetsareducedsentenceinexchangeforprovidinghelptothepolice.
Wherethepossiblesentenceisdeath,theprisonerhasthestrongestpossibleincentivetotrytogettheirsentencereduced,eventolifeimprisonmentwithout
possibilityofparole,andit'sarguedthatcapitalpunishmentthereforegivesausefultooltothepolice.
Thisisaveryfeeblejustificationforcapitalpunishment,andisrathersimilartoargumentsthattortureisjustifiedbecauseitwouldbeausefulpolicetool.

AJapaneseargument
Thisisaratherquirkyargument,andnotnormallyputforward.
Japanusesthedeathpenaltysparingly,executingapproximately3prisonersperyear.
AuniquejustificationforkeepingcapitalpunishmenthasbeenputforwardbysomeJapanesepsychologistswhoarguethatithasanimportantpsychologicalpartto
playinthelifeoftheJapanese,wholiveunderseverestressandpressureintheworkplace.

Theargumentgoesthatthedeathpenaltyreinforcesthebeliefthatbadthingshappentothosewhodeserveit.Thisreinforcesthecontrarybeliefthatgoodthings
willhappentothosewhoare'good'.
Inthisway,theexistenceofcapitalpunishmentprovidesapsychologicalreleasefromconformityandoverworkbyreinforcingthehopethattherewillbeareward
induetime.
Oddly,thisargumentseemstobebackedupbyJapanesepublicopinion.Thosewhoareinfavourcurrentlycomprise81%ofthepopulation,orthatistheofficial
statistic.NonethelessthereisalsoasmallbutincreasinglyvociferousabolitionistmovementinJapan.
Fromanethicalpointofviewthisisthetotallyconsequentialistargumentthatifexecutingafewpeoplewillleadtoanaggregateincreaseinhappinessthenthat
isagoodthing.