Should people who commit serious crimes be sentenced to death? The death penalty is also known as capital punishment. It is allowed in some states but prohibited in others. Since 1977, over 1,500 people have been executed in the United States by capital punishment.

Advocates of the death penalty say that the threat of being punished by death stops people from committing violent crimes. They also contend that the death penalty helps murder victims’ families find peace. Additionally, they argue that it is only right that people who commit violent crimes like torture or murder should not be allowed to live.

Those who take the contrary position argue that it is wrong to kill anyone, including a convicted criminal. They say evidence shows that the death penalty does not lower rates of violent crime. Death penalty opponents also point out that in some cases innocent people have been convicted. After further investigation, their sentences were reversed. For example, DNA testing has shown that some people did not commit the crimes they were accused of, and they were released from prison.

One inmate, Anthony Ray Hinton, spent 30 years on death row before his murder conviction was overturned. He was released from prison in April 2015. Because many death sentences like Hinton’s have been overturned, opponents of capital punishment are concerned that innocent people are being sentenced to death.

Supporters of capital punishment agree that these cases are tragic, especially when someone is proven innocent after they have already been put to death. They argue that the best way to address the problem is to improve the system that decides if someone is innocent or guilty in the first place. They say this will help make sure that only people who are truly guilty of serious crimes receive the death penalty.

What is your opinion? Should the death penalty be prohibited, or are there good reasons to keep it? When, if ever, do you think capital punishment is justified?