Capital Punishment

by Paul G. Connors (Editor)

Overview

Six states have abolished the death penalty since 2007. This volume includes essays that offer divergent views on capital punishment. Students are encouraged to see the validity of differing opinions on topics such as the ethics and effectiveness of capital punishment, so that they may understand the issue inclusively. Fact boxes are included to summarize important information for researchers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780737737127
Publisher:	Greenhaven Publishing LLC
Publication date:	09/27/2007
Series:	Current Controversies Series
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

B01

Table of Contents

Foreword     13
Introduction     16
Is Capital Punishment Ethical?
Chapter Preface     21
Yes: Capital Punishment Is Ethical
When a Loved One Is Murdered, the Death Penalty Seems Moral   Olga Polites     23
Death by Lethal Injection Is Not Cruel and Unusual Punishment   Cal Thomas     26
Juvenile Executions Should Be Ruled Constitutional   Robert H. Bork     30
Capital Punishment Is Moral to Prevent the Taking of Innocent Lives   Cass R. Sunstein   Adrian Vermeule     35
No: Capital Punishment Is Not Ethical
Capital Punishment Is Simply Murder   Gary Egeberg     45
Death by Lethal Injection Is Inhumane   Deborah W. Denno     50
Putting Juvenile Murderers to Death Is Wrong   Craig M. Bradley     59
Physicians Have an Ethical Responsibility Not to Participate in Executions   Peter A. Clark     65
Is Capital Punishment Administered Fairly?
Chapter Preface     78
Yes: Capital Punishment Is Administered Fairly
The Chance of Executing an Innocent Person Is Very Slight   Richard A. Posner     80
Capital Punishment Is Administered Fairly   Joshua Marquis     84
Death Row Reforms May Lead to a Fairer Criminal Justice System   Jean M. Templeton     94
No: Capital Punishment Is Not Administered Fairly
Wrongful Convictions Involving Prisoners Are Too Common   C. Ronald Huff     103
The Death Penalty Is Not Applied Equally to Both Sexes   Victor L. Streib     113
Scientific Evidence Does Not Ensure Guilt in Death Penalty Cases   Sheila Jasanoff     122
The Evidence of Innocence Is Often Withheld in Death Penalty Cases   Dale S. Recinella     132
Is Capital Punishment an Effective Deterrent to Crime?
Chapter Preface     139
Yes: Capital Punishment Is an Effective Deterrent to Crime
Capital Punishment Does in Fact Deter Crime   Joanna M. Shepherd     141
Homicidal Violence in Great Britain Has Increased Since the Abolition of the Death Penalty   Theodore Dalrymple     145
Hanging Saddam Hussein Will Deter Future Chaos in Iraq   Patrick Poole     151
No: Capital Punishment Is Not an Effective Deterrent to Crime
Studies Cannot "Prove" Capital Punishment Deters Crime   Clive Stafford Smith     157
Capital Punishment Is Ineffective and Dangerous   Michael Cohen     161
Deterrence Studies Are Inconsistent and Unscientific   Jeffrey Fagan     171
Should Capital Punishment Be Abolished or Reformed?
Chapter Preface      175
Executions Should Be Televised to Spur Debate About Capital Punishment   Howard Rosenberg     177
Capital Punishment Is a Failed Experiment and Should Be Abolished   Anna Quindlen     181
Feminists Should Advocate to Abolish Capital Punishment   Laura Huey     185
Saddam Hussein Should Not Have Been Hanged   Richard Dawkins     192
Public and State Support for the Death Penalty Is Declining   Dahlia Lithwick     195
Organizations to Contact     201
Bibliography     205
Index     211

Editorial Reviews

Review: Capital Punishment "...These titles will be a great resource for current events, history, and speech classes and debate teams. Highly Recommended."—Library Media Connection, August-September 2004

From the Publisher