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Sophia Cabrera
Senior English Period 3
Ms. Figueroa
2 November 2018
Enforcement of The Death Penalty

The death penalty isn’t being enforced as much as it should be, and more people as the

generation grows find it unreasonable and unorthodox. Laws must be enforced for the safety of

the state. When laws are broken, anarchy follows. The death penalty should be applied in very

narrow circumstances for the most gruesome of crimes. In my personal opinion, the death

penalty is not out to seek revenge, but to save other people’s lives who could be in danger of the

murderer. However, others think that the death penalty is horrifyingly wrong in tremendous

ways. It can be determined that the death penalty serves justice and no justice. I believe it serves

an excruciating amount of justice due to the obstruction of crime rates increasing double the

number every year in the United States. Imposing, having extended investigation on a trial, and

confirming the jury are unbiased, will ensure the true justice of the death penalty.

For stronger use of the death penalty and making sure the suspect is indeed the individual

who should be held responsible for execution, extending a long-term investigation for the crime

will eliminate any wrongful executions but enforce the penalty on the correct individual.

Recognition of the decrement of crime rates were shown through studies, “Studies of the death

penalty have reached various conclusions about its effectiveness in deterring crime”

(www.procon.org). In other words, in the early 1980’s, the death penalty decreased the number of

murderers which proves that the murderer might think again before committing his/her next

crime. Also, many murderers tend to kill more than once, for example Albert Fish who has at

least 100 victims. If the death penalty was enforced sooner, a good amount of that 100 wouldn’t

be victims. This is not revenge, but justice.

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Furthermore, Albert Fish is a substantial example for the encouragement of the death

penalty. From Top 10 Most Deserved Executions “, Some crimes are so horrendous and

inherently wrong that they demand strict penalties up to and including life sentences or even

death” (Mathew McCane). Albert Fish was a serial killer and a child molester who was even

found guilty for cannibalization of five of his victims. He was only proven guilty for five victims

but claimed the other 95 had similar fate. If the death penalty doesn’t justify this horrific crime, I

don’t know what will. Laws like the death penalty should be enforced for the safety of many

more soon to be victims and soon to be murderers.

Understanding that innocent lives that are put at risk when some who serve the death

penalty actually aren’t guilty should be recognized. This does not mean to eliminate the death

penalty but to have strict policies that go more in depth of the crime before the suspect is

sentenced the death penalty. Because such violent crimes, the death penalty sets equality. Just

like Eleanor Roosevelt once wrote, “Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both”.

However, there are some inadequate experiences with people that served the death

penalty that was unjustified. The Death Penalty around the World article states, “Authoritarian

regimes across the world use the death penalty as a torture tool to silence those who dare to

oppose them” (www.reprieve.org). This means that many people were punished because of

homosexuality, adultery, and blasphemy. This is not justice. People have human rights as an

individual and this was unjustified. Crimes like Albert Fish was justified because of the horror

and terror he left his victims family members and the pain the victim went through. From the

article To Murder Victims’ Families, Executing Killers is Justice, a victim’s family member

wrote, “This isn’t even about revenge, revenge would be going out and killing one of the

murderer’s family members, the death penalty isn’t revenge. It’s the law” (Vicki Romano).
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Some will argue that the death penalty serves no justice because of race and where the

individual is from. According to the OADP article, “Those who kill whites are more likely to be

sentenced to die than those who kill African Americans.” (https://oadp.org). This is due to racial

profiling, race has always been an issue and will also continue being an issue for the death

penalty unless going in depth of the jury comes to play in and making sure each and every jury

member isn’t biased. This will exclude the racial theories on who is more likely to receive the

death sentence. After, this law will be enforced to the precise individual.

All in all, the death penalty is the law, follow and obey the law or suffer the

consequences. Due to Albert Fish’s heavy number of murderers, including how inhumane they

were, he was executed in the electric chair for justice. Now there will be no more victims in

addition to his murderers. Enforcing the laws for the safety of the state should be normally

regulated because when laws are broken, it causes anarchy. …

Work Cited
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McCane, Mathew, and Kristen Whitney. “States Debate Death Penalty Issues: Ongoing

Arguments Involve Execution Dates, Constitutionality of Execution Drug Midazolam.”

National Catholic Reporter, 24 Mar. 2017.

Oregonians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Oregonians for Alternatives to the Death

Penalty, 2018, oadp.org/. Salem, Oregon 97308

Studies of the Death Penalty Have Reached Various Conclusions about Its Effectiveness in

Deterring Crime. ProConorg Headlines, www.procon.org/.

The Death Penalty around the World. Reprieve US, New York, NY 10163, 2018,

reprieve.org/death-penalty/death-penalty-around-world/.