CLJ 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Innocence Project, Execution By Firing Squad, Gas Chamber
Document Summary
Clj intro to criminology unit: death penalty. Capital punishment: capital punishment: the use of the death penalty to punish wrongdoers for certain crimes, currently, the death penalty is used almost exclusively for murder. *31/50 states have the death penalty in addition to the federal government and military courts. *only about 8/31 states actually have used it in the past 2 years. Arguments for : death penalty provides closure for the families of the victims, an eye for an eye, the presence of the death penalty prevents future crimes (deterrance) Arguments against : there is a chance of executing someone who is innocent (innocence project, the death penalty is applied unfairly and disproportionately affects certain groups of people, the death penalty is too costly. History of the death penalty: there was a moratorium on the death penalty between 1972 and 1976, moratorium: nobody was executed; basically a hold.