One of the biggest problems with the death penalty is the value of human life, ethically. This becomes a problem as many people believe that life is so valuable that there is no reason or circumstance that would warrant the loss of it. Many people believe that the offenders life should not be destroyed by the offenders bad conduct - even if they have killed someone. However, many people don't go this far and believe that while human life is incredibly valuable, there are some circumstance in which it is ethically allowed to not continue.
Another large problem with the death penalty is that people who are prosecuted may be innocent. This can occur as there may be convincing evidence that they did commit a heinous crime, but in actuality this evidence is wrong, misinterpreted, or even framed on the suspected offender. Witnesses, prosecutors and jurors can all make mistakes. When this is coupled with flaws in the system it is inevitable that innocent people will be convicted of crimes. Where capital punishment is used such mistakes cannot be put right. There is evidence of this happening in the past. For example, since 1973 in the USA there have been 130 people who have been wrongly convicted of a crime - resulting in innocent death.
The death penalty doesn't seem to deter people from committing serious violent crimes. The thing that deters is the likelihood of being caught and punished. The general consensus among social scientists is that the deterrent effect of the death penalty is at best unproven. In 1988 a survey was conducted for the UN to determine the relation between the death penalty and homicide rates. This was then updated in 1996. It concluded that the death penalty in actuality did not help
Another large problem with the death penalty is that people who are prosecuted may be innocent. This can occur as there may be convincing evidence that they did commit a heinous crime, but in actuality this evidence is wrong, misinterpreted, or even framed on the suspected offender. Witnesses, prosecutors and jurors can all make mistakes. When this is coupled with flaws in the system it is inevitable that innocent people will be convicted of crimes. Where capital punishment is used such mistakes cannot be put right. There is evidence of this happening in the past. For example, since 1973 in the USA there have been 130 people who have been wrongly convicted of a crime - resulting in innocent death.
The death penalty doesn't seem to deter people from committing serious violent crimes. The thing that deters is the likelihood of being caught and punished. The general consensus among social scientists is that the deterrent effect of the death penalty is at best unproven. In 1988 a survey was conducted for the UN to determine the relation between the death penalty and homicide rates. This was then updated in 1996. It concluded that the death penalty in actuality did not help