DEATH PENALTY IN UNJUST.

Running head: DEATH PENALTY IN UNJUST
DEATH PENALTY IS UNJUST
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1DEATH PENALTY IS UNJUST
Introduction:
In this assignment, the concept of death penalty in the light of classical criminology is
being analyzed. It is widely established that death penalty denies the most basic human rights,
the right to life. The entire world is moving towards a position to achieve the world wide
abolition of death penalty as it is totally unjust and unfair (Kim 2016).
Discussion:
In this part of the assignment, the classical school of criminology is being referred to
(Chen and Einat 2015). It was developed in the 18th century when the classical thinking
introduced in response to the cruel punishments that was dominant then. The two contributors of
this theory were J.Bentham and Beccaria. Since its introduction, the use of capital punishment
declined. None of them believed in the death penalty. Baccaria believed that punishments must
be proportional to the seriousness of the offences such that cost of crime is more than its reward.
This approach became the basis of all modern criminal judicial system.
Death penalty can be analyzed in the light of different theories like Marx theory in which
Karl Marx was sympathetic to the retributive justification of punishment. The Marxists oppose
the capital punishment. According to strain theory, the society puts pressure on people to achieve
social goals that force them to commit crimes. Again, labeling theory states that people identify
and behave in such a way that shows how others label them. None of the theories in the present
day support death penalty. Many countries have already banned it, Venezuela being the first. It is
never consistent with fundamental human rights principle (Snacken 2015).