Death Penatly

Introduction
The debate of the death penalty has been around as long as the bible has been circulating. The earliest documented executions in the United States date back to the early 1600?s, with the execution of Captain George Kendall of Jamestown Colony (Paternoster 1991).
As of today, the United States is the only democratic nation in the Western world that still practices capital punishment (Manning and Rhoden-Trader 1999). As of date, 38 states practice capital punishment (Harry 2000). Capital punishment is the act of executing those who have been convicted of a crime. Capital cases cost twice as much to kill the prisoner ($30,000) than just keeping inmate in prison for life ($15,000) (Paternoster 1991).
History of Capital Punishment
The death penalty has been in the United States criminal justice system since the country?s beginning (Paternoster 1991). The first Colonial societies were strongly influenced by English traditions, and capital punishment was highly...