Social, psychological, and religious values are central to the continuing controversy over capital

punishment. Capital punishment, also called death penalty, execution of an offender sentenced to death
after conviction by a court of law of a criminal offense. Capital punishment should be distinguished from
extrajudicial executions carried out without due process of law. The term death penalty is sometimes
used interchangeably with capital punishment, though imposition of the penalty is not always followed
by execution (even when it is upheld on appeal), because of the possibility of commutation to life
imprisonment.
In first point of view ,the world’s major faitsh have differing views depending on the religion.The
major world religions have taken varied positions on the morality of capital punishment and as such,
they have historically impacted the way in which governments handle such punishment practices.
Although the viewpoints of some religions have changed over time, their influence on capital
punishment generally depends on the existence of a religious moral code and how closely religion
influences the government. Religious moral codes are often based on a body of teachings, such as the
Old Testament .Catholicism,opposes capital punishment in all cases.The Qur’an explicitly states that the
taking of a life results in the taking of ones own, leading most Islamic governaments to support capital
punishment.
Second point of view,psychologists and other social scientists have conducted research on issues
such as if the death penalty serves as a deterrent, what drives public support for capital
punishment,how jurors decide whether to sentence a defendant to life in prison or death by execution.
The death penalty is used to deter killers, but it models the very behavior it seeks to prevent. It teaches
the lesson that it is acceptable to kill, as long as the state is the one doing the killing. This is somewhat
paradoxical. It seems like capital punishment pretty much goes against everything it claims to be for. The
available evidence indicates that the death penalty does not reduce murder rates. FBI Unified Crime
reports show that states with the death penalty have homicide rates 48-101% higher than states
without the death penalty.
The last point of view, is the economical one.Until recently, attempts to measure the fiscal
impact of the death penalty were rare. The first comprehensive attempt to measure the economic
impact of capital sentencing policy was conducted in New York in 1982. However, the bulk of state-level
economic cost studies of the death penalty have taken place over the last 15 years. Many of these
reports were spurred by budget shortfalls in the wake of the great recession.The first cost incurred by
the state in capital cases is the police investigation costs. Once the defendant has been accused of a
particular crime, the prosecution determines whether the death penalty will be sought. Police
investigations of murders must be conducted in a more precise manner than in other criminal
investigations because the stakes are much higher
To sum up,I believe that the death penalty violates the most fundamental human right – the
right to life. It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. The death penalty is
discriminatory. ... An innocent person may be released from prison for a crime they did not commit, but
an execution can never be reversed.