Thesis:

The death penalty should be abolished due to the high costs, the history of error, and the unfair
treatment of the inmates. The death penalty is also unjust to the value of our human life and
brutalizes society.

Support: The cost of the death penalty

The power of the government taking lives considering history of error
The death penalty is used as an excuse to try new drugs on inmates

In the article Death Penalty Is Unjust by Mary E. Williams, the author states Increasing
reliance on the death penalty diminishes all of us and is a sign of growing disrespect for human
life. We cannot overcome crime by simply executing criminals, nor can we restore the lives of
the innocent by ending the lives of those convicted of their murders ( "The Death Penalty Is
Unjust." The Death Penalty, edited by Mary E. Williams, Greenhaven Press, 2002. Opposing
Viewpoints).
In addition, the article Capital Punishment Should be Temporarily Suspended by Russ
Feingold, the author brings up the facts [In April 2002], Mr. Ray Krone walked out of an Arizona
state prison a free man. In doing so, he became the 100th innocent person to be released from
death row in the modern death penalty-era that is, since the Supreme Court found the death
penalty unconstitutional in 1972(Capital Punishment Should Be Temporarily Suspended,
Capital Punishment, 2005, From Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Russ Feingold is the
Democratic senator from Wisconsin).

To date, 10 individuals in Louisiana and 144 nationally have been released from death row
because they were wrongly convicted (The Death Penalty Should Be Abolished)
Submitting the power to kill U.S. citizens to the State is unwise considering [the] history of error
and malfeasance. (The Death Penalty Should Be Abolished)
in the end, lead to modest cost savings, but the most expensive step in the death penalty
processpretrial activities and the actual trialsare unaffected by this legislation (The Death

Penalty Should Be Abolished)

murder victims' family members are vocally rejecting this program because it re traumatizes
them through a decades-long process of trials, appeals, and constant media attention. (The
Death Penalty Should Be Abolished)

10 individuals in Louisiana and 144 nationally have been released from death row because they
were wrongly convicted. Many others have been executed despite substantial doubts about the
verdict.
The fiscal cost of the death penalty pales in comparison to the human cost, but local, state, and
federal governments must justify all spending as they struggle with ongoing budgetary shortfalls
Counter Arguement Evidence:
leads people to seek justice and protect their community. Society is justified in executing serious
criminals in order to achieve justice and retribution. (Retribution Is a Moral Reason for Capital
Punishment)

In the article, Justice is Served with the Death Penalty by Koch Edward, the author states
Even if opponents were to cite such a case, I would still support having the penalty available as
an option in particularly heinous murders. The reason being that many more innocent lives
would be saved because of the deterrence factor( Koch, Edward. "Justice Is Served with the
Death Penalty." The Death Penalty, edited by Jenny Cromie and Lynn M. Zott, Greenhaven
Press, 2013).