11 .

Capital Punishment - Reading

* Capital Punishment:

The principle of capital punishment is that certain murderers deserve nothing less than
death as a just, proportionate and effective punishment. There are problems with the death
penalty.
Key Ideas
* Capital punishment - problems

1
Execution is, in simplest terms, state-sanctioned killing, and it devalues the respect we
place on human life; how can we say that killing is wrong if we sanction killing criminals?
More importantly, the whole principle is outweighed by the proven risk of executing
innocent people. 23 innocent people were executed in the USA in the 20th century. The
avoidable killing of an innocent person can never be justified, in any circumstances.
Main Point 1
* State sanctioned killing
- devalues human life
- risk of executing innocent men
- US the 20th cent. 23 innocent men executed

2
Higher execution rates can actually increase violent crime rates. California averaged 6
executions a year from 1952 to 1967, and had twice the murder rate than the period from
1968 until 1991 when there were no executions. In New York, from 1907 to 1964, months
immediately following an execution showed a net increase of two murders - an average
over a 57-year period.
Main Point 2
* Increase violent crime rates
- CA: 6 ex. twice the murder rate
- NY 57 yrs: ex net increase

3
Capital punishment costs more than life without parole. Studies in the US show that capital
cases, from arrest to execution, cost between $1 million and $7 million. A case resulting in
life imprisonment costs around $500,000.
Main Point 3
* Costly compared to life without parole
- arrest to ex: cost $ 1m - & 7m
- life imprisonment - $ 500,000

1
 11 . Capital Punishment - Listening

Close to 90 countries have the death penalty, but nowhere is it debated so often as in the
United States where each state can formulate its own policy according to the Constitution.
38 of the 50 states allow the death penalty as a sentence. For todays lecture, we will
examine whether capital punishment is really as ineffective and inhumane as some might
argue.
Key Ideas
* Capital punishment
- is it really ineffective?

First, as I believe a majority of innocent and ordinary members of society agree,

murderers forgo their rights as humans at the moment when they take away the rights of
another human. I mean by wielding such a powerful punishment as the response to
murder, society is affirming the value that is placed upon the right to life of the innocent
person. Hmm Many more innocent people have been killed by released, paroled or
escaped murderers than innocent people executed. Sad but true!
Main Point 1
* Murders forge their rights when committing crimes
- capital punishment: affirm the value / protect innocent lives
- more innocent men killed by released, paroled murderers than innocent men executed

Next, capital punishment is 100% effective as a deterrent to the criminal being executed;
that killer cannot commit any more crimes. As a deterrent to others, it depends on how
effectively the death penalty is applied; in the USA where less than 1% of murderers are
executed, it is difficult to assess the true effect of deterrence. But for example, a 1985
study by Stephen K. Layson showed that 1 execution deterred 18 murders.
Main Point 2
* Capital P. 100% effective
- cannot commit any more crimes
- a deterrent to others
- more investment required to be more effective
- Layson: 1 ex = deter 18 murders

Finally, it seems that opponents of the death penalty prefer to ignore the fact that they
themselves are responsible for its high costs, by causing a never-ending succession of
appeals. Why should the taxpayer bear the cost of supporting a murderer for an entire
lifetime? Prisons in many countries are over-crowded and under-funded, and this problem
is made worse by life sentences or delayed death sentences for murderers.
Main Point 3
* Death penalty saving tax payers money
no more never-ending appeals
- no need to support prisoners for their life time
- prisons over crowded / under funded worsen the situation

2
 11 . Capital Punishment Summary Writing

[Note-taking Point]
Reading Lecture
* Capital punishment - problems * Capital punishment
Key Ideas
- is it really ineffective?
* State sanctioned killing * Murders forge their rights when
- devalues human life committing crimes
- risk of executing innocent men - capital punishment: affirm the value
Main Point 1 - US the 20th cent. 23 innocent / protect innocent lives
men executed - more innocent men killed by
released, paroled murderers than
innocent men executed

* Increase violent crime rates * Capital P. 100% effective

- CA: 6 ex. twice the murder rate
- NY 57 yrs: ex net increase
Main Point 2
* Costly compared to life without parole
- arrest to ex: cost $ 1m - & 7m
- life imprisonment - $ 500,000
Main Point 3
- cannot commit any more crimes
- a deterrent to others
- more investment required to be
more effective
- Layson: 1 ex = deter 18 murders
* Death penalty saving tax payers
money
no more never ending appeals
- no need to support prisoners for
their life time
- prisons over crowded / under
funded worsen the situation

[Model Writing]
* iBT TOEFL Integrated Writing . .

The lecturer opposes claims put forward in the reading that capital punishment is inhumane,
ineffective and costly by arguing that it is humane since it protects innocent people and
effective as a deterrent on crime as well as cost effective.

First off, the claim is made in the lecture that protecting rights and lives of the innocents
should be the priority, showing concerns that more lives of innocent people have been
wasted by released and paroled criminals than those wrongfully executed. This view point
of the lecturer unswervingly rebuts the point proposed in the reading that capital
punishment is inhumane and is disrespect to human values and life.

As to the second point, the lecturer insists that capital punishment is perfectly effective in
the prevention of crimes since murderers are completely kept away from society. According
to a study the lecturer referred to one execution has an effect of deterring murders. This
clearly contradicts the reading passages assertion that execution only increases violent
crime rates.

3
Finally, the lecture indicates that capital punishment is cost effective as taxpayers are no
longer responsible for keeping life-sentenced criminals as well as delayed-sentence
murderers in expensive prison facilities. This view of the lecture precisely refutes the belief
of the author that capital punishment is more expensive than life imprisonment.

4
[Reading /]

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. 1952 1967
6
1968 1991 . 1907
1964 57
.

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50 .

principle <n> . .
murderer <n>
proportionate <adj> (~) , penalty ,
devaluate <v> ~ ,
parole <n> ,
imprisonment <n>

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[Lecture /]

90 .
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38 .
.

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100
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. 1985 Stephen K.
Layson 1 18 .

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.

formulate <v> ~ . ~
ineffective <adj> ,
inhumane <adj>
innocent <adj> ,
deterrent <adj>
sentence <n> . .

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[Summary Writing /]

,

.

,
.
.

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priority <n>
unswervingly <adv>
disrespect <v> ,
taxpayer <n> ()
life sentenced <adj> ,
delayed sentenced <adj>