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The argument has often been sited that the death penalty has never been a deterrent for crime. I personally believe it can be an effective approach and should be re-established in our society. I believe one of the reasons the death penalty appears to most not to work is the laws, which govern our society has become too lenient.

Our laws are too subtle on criminals as society continues to advance. As the technological age continues to unfold, it has provided other means to monitor offenders. Offenders are now placed on ESP otherwise known as Electronic Surveillance Program. There are monitoring devices designed to monitor offenders who serve time in the community. This form of leniency with criminals often times does not work as they continue to re-offend in particular fail to comply with conditions of probation & parole.

Another aspect is the Conditional Sentence dispositions otherwise known as (jail term) given to people who the courts feel may not be a risk to society and instead serve the jail term in the community. Our criminal justice system continues to treat offenders in custody as if they were guests staying at a club med resort. They are given privileges in custody such as fun and games instead of addressing their maladaptive behavior. Notwithstanding the privileges, they are also not being reinforced positively. There should be more educational programming including other ways to motivate them to improve the quality of life in society.

The other aspect that many may feel it's not a deterrent; there are the few who were innocently condemned to death. Therefore, capital punishment is evaluated on the basis that some were wrongly convicted and inhumane. The point is there is a vast amount of people who are guilty and therefore, outnumbers the wrongfully convicted. The number of violent crimes continues to escalate and without serious consequences to the perpetrators of the crime. As a result of technological and medical innovations, there are tools, which are being utilized to determine whether someone is guilty or innocent. This has been evidenced by recent cases of DNA of people who were wrongfully accused. Therefore, the technological and advanced medical approach to crime continues to unfold positively for the innocent who otherwise may be accused wrongfully in the past.

Society need to re-evaluate and restructure policies and the system in order to re-establish new laws to reflect the consequences to violent criminals in the 21st century. Criminals such as Paul Bernardo, Karla Homolka, and most recent case is that of Robert Pickton, pig farmer from British Columbia who was convicted of second degree murder even after the evidence shows him murdering over 20 women. I believe capital punishment is necessary for such violent crimes and is a deterrent if our criminal justice system was an effective means of addressing crime to begin with.

The same can be stated about having a social theory approach to crime, it can equally be said it works with the few. However, such an approach would not have an effect on the career criminals who depend on crime and violence to sustain their survival. Therefore, we need to take a firm stand to fight crime, which includes having stringent measures for criminals and zero tolerance for most crimes. Whether "zero tolerance," means mandatory custody for weapons or impaired or death penalty for the predators who enjoy taking lives. This would include extreme measures (death penalty) for those who commit extreme violent crimes such as murder, terrorist acts of aggression and other inhumane violent crimes against society. As simply stated in Hammurabi's law; "a tooth for a tooth, a eye for an eye."

Learn more about this author, Nadia Ghanny.
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