by Joseph Whalen

Created on: May 05, 2010

While it is difficult to argue that executions are the ultimate method of stopping repeat offenders the concept of the death penalty was never meant as solely a punitive action.  Deterrence is the primary purpose of executions; this has been the case throughout history.  From the decimation of Roman legions in which ever tenth man of a poorly performing troop of soldiers was killed as an example to the rest up to the days of the wild west when public hangings of outlaws was a public spectacle and example of the justice that awaited others who would willingly violate the law, these were meant to serve as deterrence.

It wasn’t until the late 19th and early 20th century when the penal systems around the world, taking their lead primarily from the United States changed their philosophy of management.  Instead of harshly punishing people with intolerable incarceration and execution our penal system took on a more mainstream tactic and focused more on reforming criminals rather than punishing them.  This fundamental change, while possibly more human to the prisoners has led to some of the most disturbing and perverted crime sprees in history.

In an attempt to provide fair and humane conditions for prisoners our justice and penal systems have taken away rights of law abiding citizens and given them to individuals who willingly and frequently violated the very laws that grant us those rights.  Today we pay hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in taxes to house, feed and clothe individuals who would rape, murder, rob and injure those very tax payers should the criminals be released from custody.  While in the care of the state these monsters are educated, coddled with luxuries that many citizens can’t afford and are cared for like some wayward child who simply needs some guidance before returning to the path of righteousness.

There’s almost no deterrence factor in today judicial system.  This includes the rare occasions in which the very politically incorrect punishment of executions are carried out.  Executions are meant to scare prospective criminals into rethinking their insidious plots and changing their ways.  Reading about an execution on page six of the local newspaper has far less of an effect than actually seeing one.  In past years executions were public events that were witnessed live, making it difficult to take advantage of the shock value associated with them on a large scale. 

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