Debating the Death Penalty: Should America Have Capital Punishment? the Experts on Both Sides Make Their Best Case

By Paul G. Cassell

Book Overview

When news breaks that a convicted murderer, released from prison, has killed again, or that an innocent person has escaped the death chamber in light of new DNA evidence, arguments about capital punishment inevitably heat up. Few controversies continue to stir as much emotion as this one, and public confusion is often the result.
This volume brings together seven experts--judges, lawyers, prosecutors, and philosophers--to debate the death penalty in a spirit of open inquiry and civil discussion. Here, as the contributors present their reasons for or against capital punishment, the multiple facets of the issue are revealed in clear and thought-provoking detail. Is the death penalty a viable deterrent to future crimes? Does the imposition of lesser penalties, such as life imprisonment, truly serve justice in cases of the worst offences? Does the legal system discriminate against poor or minority defendants? Is the possibility of executing innocent persons sufficient grounds for abolition?
In confronting such questions and making their arguments, the contributors marshal an impressive array of evidence, both statistical and from their own experiences working on death penalty cases. The book also includes the text of Governor George Ryan's March 2002 speech in which he explained why he had commuted the sentences of all prisoners on Illinois's death row.
By representing the viewpoints of experts who face the vexing questions about capital punishment on a daily basis, Debating the Death Penalty makes a vital contribution to a more nuanced understanding of the moral and legal problems underlying this controversy.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195179803
• ISBN13: 9780195179804
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, Incorporated
• Length: 242 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Informative and Balanced

Before reading this book, I was under the impression that the capital punishment debate had only two points of view. Either you are for the death penalty, or you are against it. I was mistaken. There are seven contributing authors to this work, and each has a distinctly different point of view on the capital punishment debate. These points of view range from total abolitionist (believes the death penalty is morally wrong no matter the crime) to the staunch belief that we do not use the death penalty enough nor with enough regularity for it to be effective (believes we should kill more murderers faster). The issues addressed include deterrence, arbitrariness, racism, DNA evidence, and the many imperfections in the process of sending a killer to his or her death.

Balanced

If you are looking for balanced arguments for and against the death penalty, this is probably one of the best sources currently available. The book alternates between retentionist and abolitionist papers (those for and those against capital punishment). I have personally found it very hard to find any academic arguments in favour of capital punishment and perhaps the most academic one I have found is in this book - Louis Pojman, who was also the editor of a book on moral philosophy that was used in my philosophy studies in university. This book is mostly focussed on the death penalty as it is experienced in the United States and features some of the most well known figures in the US on this issue (including former Illinois Governor George Ryan). Being most familiar with the abolitionist arguments, I would say that this volume is not completely comprehensive, but it is worthy and I get the feeling that this is not aimed at showing all arguments - just the primary arguments of those speaking - and it does that excellently. It is an excellent book too if you are having trouble understanding 'the other side' in this issue and well worth the read. On a side note, if you are interested in understanding the legal and international perspective of the death penalty I recommend Professor Roger Hood's _The Death Penalty: A Worldwide Perspective_ - the best comprehensive study on the subject I have ever found.

This Book Is Very Enlightening -The Death Penalty Is Evil

I am on the side that is against the death penalty. I am against capital punishment as I am aware that it is an evil practice. I could only support the death penalty if it were a deterrent to stop one person from killing another person. I am 100% convinced that it is not a deterrent. Life in prison is so terrible that it is impossible to believe that a potential killer is going to think that "I will go ahead with the killing because the punishment is only life in prison and not the death penalty."

Death Penalty Opinions

I believe that the opinions in this book are very enlightening. The co. authors explain their opinions very well and present their views cogently. Paul Cassell's chapter in this book was very convincing and it is very clear to note that he is oneof the leading experts in this field. I highly recomond this book to anybody who is interested in learning about the Death Penalty. Stephen Taylor Snyder