As humans, we have free will. That means we have the power to make our own decisions. You are the only person who controls your actions. With that, we have to learn to take responsibility for our actions. Our legal system isn’t based on scaring people. We use the forms of punishment that we do because that’s simply the only effective way to maintain order in our country.

Criminals are put on death row for very serious crimes, all of which resulting in a homicide. If they weren’t these people would continue to be a threat to others. But many people in society have a bad habit of thinking that once the criminal is in jail, everyone is safe from their harm. However, Robert Gleason proved that that way of thinking is far from true. In case you’re unfamiliar, Robert Gleason was sentenced to life without parole in prison for the murder of a young man. While in prison, Gleason strangled two inmates to death. Even though this triple homicide was a tragic occurrence, Robert Gleason proved that even in prison, crimes can and will be done to others.

Many people oppose the death penalty because they think that it brings pain and torture to the victim. In the Bill of Rights, the 8th Amendment states that all Americans are protected from cruel and unusual punishment. The lethal injection has been tested over and over again, and in some states is still being tested. However, it is still proven to be the most painless form of execution. First, the criminal is injected with sodium thiopental. If you’re unaware, that’s sleep medicine, which means that the inmate is unconscious during this procedure. Then, they’re injected with pancuronium bromide. This paralyzes all muscles and stops the respiratory system, causing the inmate to cease breathing. Finally, a flow of potassium chloride travels through the needles. Once it reaches the heart, it stops it from any more pumping that it may be able to do. This final injection is what guarantees the inmate’s death. The victim of the crime’s family is allowed to watch from behind a glass window. During the procedure, many say that they’ve seen the criminal groaning out or mumbling words. These are proven to be unconscious acts, NOT acts of pain. For these reasons, we can prove that the death penalty is Constitutional and not nearly as painful as advertised.

Generally speaking, opponents of the death penalty argue that “killing killers continues the cycle of violence” and “killing people who kill people doesn’t prove that killing people is wrong”. However, these protesters confuse killing the innocent with punishing the guilty. Death is the only true punishment. It’s the only way to ensure that the criminal can cause no more harm and it’s the only way for the family of the victim to get closure. Next, many opponents of the death penalty protest saying that that innocent people are sentenced to death. Ray Krone, who was sentenced to death after an accused single homicide, was cleared after 10 years. He was allowed to go home and continue his regular life. This proves that if a defendant is truly innocent and willing to fight to prove it, the government will listen and investigate very far into the trial to ensure they made the proper sentencing. The death penalty has also proven to deter crime. While interviewing prison inmates in Illinois, 27% of those willing to speak said that If the death penalty was an option for their punishment, they would have most likely thought twice about committing the crime they did. This very much proves that capital punishment deters crime because several people’s lives could have been saved, but they ended due to the lack of serious criminal punishment. Finally, the inmates have very suitable living conditions on death row. They’re allowed materials to write letters, read books, and engage in any other pass time that they wish unless it results in harm to themselves or others. Also, they’re allowed education, exercise time, and fresh air outside in a fenced in area. The life of a death row inmate is not a torturous, unbearable life that is a punishment in itself as many are led to believe it is. To sum up, prison conditions are fine, the legal system is fair to all criminals, and the death penalty is necessary to try to reduce the number of crimes, especially murders, which occur in America.

In conclusion, the death penalty prevents crimes from repeating, is a humane punishment, and is necessary to attempt to reduce the amount of crime. It is a fair form of discipline that helps protect citizens from criminals. Always remember, the punishment of the offender must match the crime to the victim.