The Value of Life

Abstract

The use of the death penalty in modern civilized nations is unnecessary and destructive of the social order. A careful review of the evidence indicates that, even when the risk of execution has been relatively high, the death penalty has not been shown to provide better protection for society than available alternatives. The use of the death penalty has, in fact, encouraged murder, and innocent people have been executed. The death penalty has been discriminatorily applied to racial and ethnic minorities and will continue to be, despite the current Supreme Court guidelines. The death penalty has few economic advantages, and systematic use of restitution and recoupment would make the death penalty a decided economic disadvantage for society. Setting a poor model for the community, the death penalty reduces respect for the law and places a low value on human life.