Capital Punishment

1
Capital Punishment

• What is Capital Punishment?
• Capital Punishment is the physical reprimand for
  convicted criminals
• Also known as death penalty
• It is banned in many countries
• Used for serious crimes i.e. murder

2
History of the Punishment

• First Death Sentence Recorded in 16th Century BC
  Egypt
• Known in China, Greece, Rome through out ancient
  times
• Crucifixion, drowning at sea, burial alive,
  beating to death, and impalement
• 10th Century England, Hanging was most common.
• Death Penalty still used today in many countries.

3
Methods of capital Punishment

• Lethal injection
• Electrocution in an electric chair
• Crucifixion
• Shooting by firing squad
• Gassing
• Hanging
• Beheading

4
How does DNA aid in catching criminals?

• Everyone has their individual DNA.
• This makes it a lot easier to track someone down
  if they have committed a crime.
• New technology means that even breath can be
  evidence for catching criminals.
• This means that any crime is traceable.
• DNA evidence is almost always correct and in
  courts has helped seal the convictions of many
  criminals.
• Capital Punishment can be enacted on the
  perpetrators.

5
Where does it still occur?

• It occurs most in ex-communist countries like
• China (2,468 reported cases in 2001)
• Iran (139 reported cases in 2001)
• Saudi Arabia (79 reported cases in 2001)
• America (66 reported cases in 2001)
• It still occurs in 31 countries world wide
• It tends to be increasing each year

6
Wrong Convictions

• This is a quote from the US Supreme Court
  Justice, talking about the American system of
  capital punishment
• The recent developments of reliable scientific
  evidentiary methods has made it possible to
  establish conclusively that a disturbing number
  of persons who had been sentenced to death were
  actually innocent.
• An example this was the case of Leonel Herrera,
  who was killed in 1982. Some years later, his
  brother confessed to the killings.

7
Arguments For

• Convicts forfeit their rights as soon as they
  commit the crime
• The Government has the responsibility to protect
  citizens
• Most criminals are likely to re-offend
• Peace of mind for victims family
• Preferable to life imprisonment for many
• Deters crime

8
Arguments Against

• Killing is wrong under any circumstance
• Evidence is not always conclusive
• Minorities are more likely to be executed
• Can encourage police misconduct
• Rehabilitation is preferable to death

9
A Cuban Firing Squad
10
An Old Fashioned Gallows