There is an ongoing crucial debate within the criminal justice system as to the moral status of the death penalty. Retentionists hold that the death penalty is morally justified; abolitionists argue that it is not. Proponents of the death penalty justify it from either a retributive or a utilitarian framework, sometimes using both theories for a combined justification. Abolitionists reject these contentions arguing that the principle of the sanctity of human life gives each person an inalienable right to life and thus prohibits imposition of the death penalty. Scientific research and technological developments provide modest contributions to both arguments.

Retributive Arguments

The retributivist argues (1) that all the guilty deserve to be punished; (2) that only the guilty deserve to be punished; and (3) that the guilty deserve a punishment proportional to their crime. It follows that death is a suitable punishment for anyone who commits a capital offense...