1. Preliminaries
(0-2) Abstract
This segment will give a brief summary of the whole research paper. It has to be around 150 to 300 words.
(0-2) Table of Contents_____
2. Chapter 1 – Introduction
(0-2) Introduction
This section provides a brief introduction about the concepts of the topic that is being discussed, and this is the case it is the cost effectiveness of the capital punishment. The last sentence of this section typically ends the statement of the thesis. (Capital Punishment will always be a debated issue. Even though exploration has shown that a few U.S. States still abolish Capital Punishment because it is seen as immoral, and a nonproductive solution, Capital Punishment has shown to be cost efficient for those U.S. States were Capital Punishment is allowed).
Capital punishment is a form of punishment whereby the life of the individual being punished is taken away. It is derived from caput that is a Latin term meaning ‘head’. This term is also used in allusion to death by decapitation according to Sarat (12). Currently, the term applies to all the executions that have been sanctioned by the state. The procedure of decapitation is still practiced in some countries in the Middle East for certain offenses. Other terms referring to this procedure include lethal injection, electrocution and facing a firing squad. There are many people who support the use of capital punishment while others oppose its use vehemently. Capital Punishment will always be a debated issue. Even though research has revealed that, a few U.S. States still abolish Capital Punishment because it is seen as immoral, and a nonproductive solution, Capital Punishment has shown to be cost efficient for those U.S. States were Capital Punishment is allowed.
(0-2) Statement of the Problem/Purpose
(0-2) Research Hypothesis
Why Capital should be legal in all U.S. States?
(0-2) Assumptions
This section mentions the assumptions that the researchers made while conducting the study.
(0-2) Limitations
This section includes the limitations such as the lack of funds during the study of the problem.
(0-3) Importance of Study
The vitality of the study is offered in this section and this case it is the reason for the legalization of the capital punishment in the U.S.
3. Chapter 2 – Review of Literature
(0-2) Introduction
This section provides the information about what other researchers have done on this field. Is is in this section that the problem is noted.
(0-25) Review of Literature
(0-2) Summary
This section summarizes the literature review that has been done.
4. Chapter 3 – body of the paper
This section gives the arguments for and against the legalization of the capital punishments in the United States.
Many individuals oppose the death penalty in that they find the death penalty as the condemned individuals are not taught any lesson during the process. Bedau and Paul (45), argue that the purpose of the punishment is to ensure that the individual does not commit the same crime again. Additionally, the punishment does not dissuade the criminals from committing the same crime. Some also argue that the process is immoral and cruel in that one cannot punish the death by death. Not all of the above views are supported by all people. There are some individuals who are supportive of the use of the death penalty.
One of the chief reasons that some individuals support the death penalty is that it is cost effective. Research done by Schultz (78) depict that it takes the states that have obliterated the death penalty more money to feed and look after the prisoners who were jailed for life who should have been condemned to the death penalty. The cost of the capital punishment is much higher in the states that have not abolished the death penalty in the short term due to the excessive appeals in those states but are lower in the long run after the individual has been executed. Furthermore, the death penalty acts as a means of closure to the families of the fatalities who suffered the crime. It can also be argued that the death penalty can act as a form of deterrence in that the individuals who would like to commit murder word are dissuaded from committing the crime in that they comprehend that the state would stop at nothing until they are executed for their crimes. Vermeulen (78) notes that the use of the capital murder is however cost effective as results have shown and that it is not always cruel if the correct procedures are used. The individual being executed does not even realize that they are dead.
5. Conclusion section
This section provides the main points stated in the paper.
In conclusion, it is imperative to comprehend that both the advocates and opponents of the issue of capital punishment rely on their perspectives to justify their positions on the death penalty. The decision made by the states as to whether to allow the death penalty is on the hands of the legislature however research has shown that the cost of supporting the death penalty is sometimes lower than the cost of maintaining the life prisoners who would eventually die anyway.
6. Works cited
(0-5) Works cited
This section lists the sources that have been used while conducting the research on this paper. Schultz, David A. The Encyclopedia of American Law. New York: Facts on File, 2002. Internet resource.
Vermeulen, E P. M. The Evolution of Legal Business Forms in Europe and the United States: Venture Capital, Joint Venture and Partnership Structures. The Hague: Kluwer Law International, 2003. Print.
Sarat, Austin. When the State Kills: Capital Punishment and the American Condition. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press, 2001. Print.
Bedau, Hugo A, and Paul G. Cassell. Debating the Death Penalty: Should America Have Capital Punishment? the Experts on Both Sides Make Their Best Case. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Internet resource.
