The death penalty was first presented in 1700 BC, illustrated in the Code of Hammurabi, which is famous for the statement, "an eye for an eye." Another mode of punishment is life sentence in prison. Out of all the individuals serving time in prison, one in every nine is serving a life sentence. The death penalty is permanent, whereas the life sentence is reversible, allowing individuals a chance to reform and change. Both life sentence and death penalty are harsh means of punishment in the United States; however, they differ because, the death penalty costs the government more money than charging a person with life sentence in prison.
The Death Penalty is an irreversible act, unlike a life sentence. For example if a person was given a life …show more content…
The death penalty is legal in 31 states and the life sentence is legal in 49 states, excluding Alaska. The expense for the death sentence cost taxpayers an immense amount of money, unlike the life sentence which costs less. An article titled, the High Cost of the Death Penalty states, “With 11 executions spread over 27 years, on a per execution basis, California and federal taxpayers have paid more than $250 million for each execution.” The taxpayers have to suffer because of the criminals or innocent individuals who are placed on death row. If the Death Penalty was eliminated from the United States, the amount of money saved could go towards better schools and protecting the country with more cops. Unlike the Death Penalty, Life sentence costs less. As illustrated in Death Penalty Information Center “Cases without the death penalty cost $740,000, while cases where the death penalty is sought cost $1.26 million.”(http://deathpenaltyinfo.org/life-without-parole Pg.1) The death penalty takes years to occur. While the person is awaiting trial, they have to receive housing like a regular inmate. Other sources of expense comes from the federal government trying to prove the individual innocent, the lawyer provided by the government for the individual, and more expense for minor issues. The justice served is probably worth the millions of dollars spent on the …show more content…
When a person is given a life sentence or any charges that includes spending time in prison, they tend to better themselves. Being on death row eliminates the chance of ever changing. According to Darnell L. Moore’s article “11 people who used to be in jail- but are now changing the world”, Marlon Peterson was charged with second degree murder and pleaded guilty to robbery and assault. Being in jail for ten years and two months allowed Peterson to rethink his life and reevaluate the decisions he made, that got him in jail, which led him to writing letters to individuals in his community, in hopes to create a safer environment than what he was presented in. After being release Peterson created the Youth Empowerment Programs in hopes of creating a safe community for younger individuals like himself at the time of his arrest. After coming out of jail, Peterson was able to acquire his bachelors from New York University. The point being made, is, if Peterson was put on the death penalty, he would have never made an impact. He would’ve died and the chain of death would have continued. Death Penalties are chains of killing that serve no purpose, however with life sentences, people are able to reevaluate and learn from their mistakes, either to help
The Death Penalty is an irreversible act, unlike a life sentence. For example if a person was given a life …show more content…
The death penalty is legal in 31 states and the life sentence is legal in 49 states, excluding Alaska. The expense for the death sentence cost taxpayers an immense amount of money, unlike the life sentence which costs less. An article titled, the High Cost of the Death Penalty states, “With 11 executions spread over 27 years, on a per execution basis, California and federal taxpayers have paid more than $250 million for each execution.” The taxpayers have to suffer because of the criminals or innocent individuals who are placed on death row. If the Death Penalty was eliminated from the United States, the amount of money saved could go towards better schools and protecting the country with more cops. Unlike the Death Penalty, Life sentence costs less. As illustrated in Death Penalty Information Center “Cases without the death penalty cost $740,000, while cases where the death penalty is sought cost $1.26 million.”(http://deathpenaltyinfo.org/life-without-parole Pg.1) The death penalty takes years to occur. While the person is awaiting trial, they have to receive housing like a regular inmate. Other sources of expense comes from the federal government trying to prove the individual innocent, the lawyer provided by the government for the individual, and more expense for minor issues. The justice served is probably worth the millions of dollars spent on the …show more content…
When a person is given a life sentence or any charges that includes spending time in prison, they tend to better themselves. Being on death row eliminates the chance of ever changing. According to Darnell L. Moore’s article “11 people who used to be in jail- but are now changing the world”, Marlon Peterson was charged with second degree murder and pleaded guilty to robbery and assault. Being in jail for ten years and two months allowed Peterson to rethink his life and reevaluate the decisions he made, that got him in jail, which led him to writing letters to individuals in his community, in hopes to create a safer environment than what he was presented in. After being release Peterson created the Youth Empowerment Programs in hopes of creating a safe community for younger individuals like himself at the time of his arrest. After coming out of jail, Peterson was able to acquire his bachelors from New York University. The point being made, is, if Peterson was put on the death penalty, he would have never made an impact. He would’ve died and the chain of death would have continued. Death Penalties are chains of killing that serve no purpose, however with life sentences, people are able to reevaluate and learn from their mistakes, either to help