the death penalty is not used for deterrence of violent crime, then why is it used?The three most logical explanations for this include punishment for the criminal, retribution for the victims family, and lack of trust in the American judicial system. Individuals who support the death penalty for criminal punishment often cite the eye for an eye theory found in the Bible. Leviticus 24:19-21 and Exodus 21:24 state, And if a man injures his neighbor, just as he has done, so it shall be done for him: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; just as he has injured a man, so shall it be inflicted upon him. If there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life. There shall be one standard for you: the one who kills a man shall be put to death. Basically, these supporters feel that the only just punishment for someone who commits murder is for that person to be executed. Joe Mahoney, spokesman for the New York Attorney Generals Office, said, Letting the punishment fit the crime is what it [capital punishment] is all about (Foster). The other main reason people support the death penalty is for retribution for the family of the victim. From the moment that a family receives word that a loved one is missing, the familys lives are turned into a living hell. Family members are forced to go through a stressful chain of events including searching for the body, finding the killer, sitting through the trial, hearing intricate details of the crime, testifying at the sentencing trial, appearing on interviews, facing the media, living through the murderers appeals, and finally watching the killer die if they so desire. Many emotions are felt during this duration of events and the grieving process is usually as follows: disbelief, anger, grief, vengeance, and finally, acceptance (Brownlee). Through all this, the one thing that the family keeps its focus on is retribution for the loss suffered. I...
