The Death Penalty is a form of torture
The cruelty of torture is evident. Like torture, an execution constitutes an extreme physical and mental assault on a person already rendered helpless by government authorities. Abolitionist groups claim that the cruelty of the death penalty is manifest not only in the execution but in the time spent under sentence of death, during which the prisoner is constantly contemplating his or her own death at the hands of the state. Prison is an extraordinarily severe punishment that should not be exacerbated with torture or the death penalty.
Torture Defined
The cruelty of torture is evident. Like torture, an execution constitutes an extreme physical and mental assault on a person already rendered helpless by government authorities. Abolitionist groups claim that the cruelty of the death penalty is manifest not only in the execution but in the time spent under sentence of death, during which the prisoner is constantly contemplating his or her own death at the hands of the state. Prison is an extraordinarily severe punishment that should not be exacerbated with torture or the death penalty.
Torture Defined
Torture of prisoners violates the Eight Amendment’s provision against Cruel and Unusual Punishment, and also constitutes a violation of several international laws. The United Nations Convention on Torture defined torture as “any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions.”
An example of torture in the US Criminal Justice System
In May 1998, a lawsuit was filed concerning conditions for death row inmates in Idaho Maximum Security Institution. The suit states that inmates are held in solitary confinement for 163 of every week's 168 hours in small concrete and steel cells with solid metal doors and a narrow slit for a window. Inmates are allowed out of their cells for a maximum of one hour a day, excluding weekends, for recreation, alone and handcuffed in one of 12 enclosed wire mesh pens measuring approximately seven by 15 feet. The prisoner named in the lawsuit, Randy McKinney, states that he has lived under such a regime for 16 years, and that such treatment constitutes torture.
I think we are in an era in which torture doesn't exists anymore, but some people still supports it altough is not like the torture they used in the middle ages for exmaple, is like a "more human" torture, but it is still bad. I think that these people doesn't deserve the fact that they know when and how they will die. It seems to me that is very frustrating and desperating, and it ends torturing you, mentally.
ResponderEliminarWOOW! delicate subject... right for some and wrong to other. Torture is a way to make someone suffer, physically and emotionally. Death row innates definately suffer, i mean, imaging knowing exactly the day that your life will end, but actions carry along consequences. If you want your rights to be respected, don't violate others.
ResponderEliminarI agree with alfredo and karina, because to torture someone is like one of the worst things you can do to a human being. also to know when you will die is like,no no no it just can't be. I think torturing is very inhuman and nobody deserves it no matter what they did, all has solution, but torture is definitely not a solution.
ResponderEliminari disagree itzel, because without rules, no society can even exist! so if they break the law, a punishment is deserved. If they kill,a punishment is deserved. I mean, imagine if someone kill your mom! wouldn't you wanted justice? Someone took your mom's life! Why should that person be alive? I think that's the only acceptable reason for torture.other wise... is not human.
ResponderEliminarcan't even exist*
ResponderEliminarI think being in death row must be the worst thing ever, like you are just waiting for your death to come and you also know it will probably be painful, it must be awful.
ResponderEliminarI consider it as torture because the inmates know what they're going through but I mean, that's the whole point, because it wouldn't be a punishment if they killed them without them knowing, they wouldn't even realize what was going on.
For me torture is to harm or damage someone mentally or physically.
I don't think being on death row strip people of their human dignity and worth... maybe they had already lost those things by killing someone or committing other types of crimes... and besides they wouldn't lost their human dignity just because someone decided to apply death penalty on them.
Yea, all has a solution, but I think the best solution to all this torture stuff, or the best way to avoid it, is to think it twice before doing a stupid thing that can make you regret it, even all your life.
ResponderEliminarOf course karina, if they killed my mom I would demand a punishment, but a punishment like death? maybe in the moment I would maybe kill that person with my own hands, but later I would feel bad you know? Thats why I dissagree with death penalty.
ResponderEliminarContreversy subject, in this case for me i can see it in two different points of views , the one's that were violated will want to make justice at it and they probably be with the Death penalty for example if someone kills one of my familiars of someone i love , obiously i will want that person death !! and for the others maybe wouldn't becuase maybe that person is innocent or maybe not is difficult to know sometimes is difficult because no always the correct people are being punished and justice here in Mexico is not complete honestly but i'm gonna talk like all works based in honestly and justice ; like karina says if you want your rights to be respected YOU HAVE TO RESPECT the others rights that is the base of EVERYTHING .
ResponderEliminarTorture for me is something really horrorous and frustrating i think that this shouldn't be applied to prisioners becuase they suffer a lot inside there , they said they are torture like by the other prisioners and things like that , in one way i think they shouldn't apply this because we are humans not animals or other thing or non-living thing , but if you see it in other way maybe it needs to be applied because they act like animals or persons with not feelings etc.
I think that death penalty exists (in the countries where they allow it) to have order in the society, to keep people from killing others and committing crimes, but i think it is really cruel, and i think torturing someone goes against the values and moral of the people doing it... it is just not right.
ResponderEliminarWell,, on one moment i thought the torture was good because the people with the torture dont want more to kill people and maybe theey would be afraid with the torture,
ResponderEliminarBut now i disagree with the death penalty, because i think some times apply death penalty to innocent people, because the laws in the world dont always is right. but im not sure if I am disagree because if one person kill to other i think he dont has law to live, but maybe death penalty is not solution.