Bohm, R. (2011). Death Quest: An Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Capital Punishment in the United States. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
This book begins by providing a history of the death penalty, which can be traced to colonial days. The author describes all legal procedures involved in sentencing a criminal to the death penalty. Additionally, Bohm investigates what motivates the “death quest” of the American citizens causing a large portion of the US population to support capital punishment. In a very comprehensive way, the author discusses the topic of capital punishment including all techniques that are commonly used.
This book also provides the latest statistical data and public opinion about the death penalty. In an unbiased manner, the author discusses the effectiveness of capital punishment in terms of deterrence and incapacitation. Due to extensive coverage of the topic in the most unbiased way, this literature is reliable and useful for this topic.
Haute, T. (2001). McVeigh took the last rites before execution. Web.
This article talks about the execution of McVeigh who was sentenced to the death penalty after he was found guilty of bombing and killing 168 people in Oklahoma City. Just before his execution, McVeigh asked to see a priest for confession and absolution rites; his request was granted. In his meeting with a BOP chaplain, McVeigh confessed to being responsible for the attack.
McVeigh also wrote a poem saying, “I am the mastermind of my destiny.” During his execution, McVeigh did not even say a word but instead, he looked at the camera in what was seen to be a non-verbal communication of saying he was responsible and not ready to say sorry for his actions. According to Bush, the former US president, the execution of McVeigh served not as vengeance but as justice to all victims. McVeigh’s actions were not justifiable, and his actions spoke for themselves. This article can be used to support the debate on the death penalty.
Siegel, L. J. (2009). Introduction to Criminal Justice. California: Cengage Learning.
This book provides readers with adequate information regarding the criminal justice system. Throughout, the author explains how police, courts, and correctional centers work; he also evaluates how various units of the criminal justice system work together to deliver justice in society.
Chapter 14 of this book gives a lot of emphasis on the topic of the death penalty and the author provides several reasons why capital punishment should not be banned as a form of punishment. According to the author, capital punishment is a sentence that has existed for a long time, and therefore it should continue to be applied in society. Moreover, Siegel argues that the death penalty is effective since it is morally correct and provides the greatest justice to victims and their relatives/ friends. To students, this book is useful since it covers all areas of the criminal justice system. This is valuable literature because it is student-friendly, and it provides readers with modern and real-world applications.
Stewart, D. S. (2009). A message from the prosecuting attorney. Web.
This is a message from a prosecuting attorney in Clark County, Indiana. The attorney clearly states that just like two-thirds of the US population, he is also in support of the death penalty as a form of punishment. In this piece of writing, the attorney provides numerous reasons why he is in support of capital punishment; he argues that murders should be given the death penalty not only for justice but also to ensure that society is safe.
The attorney is fully against life imprisonment; he argues that criminals who have been jailed for life should be sentenced to death instead. By sentencing criminals to life imprisonment, the justice system is risking the security of others because such criminals are capable of killing fellow prisoners, guards, or visitors. His opinion is that judges and legislators should amend laws so that capital punishment continues to be an effective form of punishment. This is useful literature considering that the author is an expert in the field of the criminal justice system.
Walker, I. (2009). The Death Penalty. Johannes Gutenberg: ABDO.
This literature explores all controversies regarding the death penalty in the US. From a general point of view, the author looks at how capital punishment works and provides an argument for and against capital punishment as a form of punishment. Walker investigates how different governments have applied the death penalty and he find out that several countries have already abolished capital punishment. However, the US is among the few countries that continue to use this form of punishment. According to the author, capital punishment has been a big debate in the US. His observation is that capital punishment has been an effective technique of punishment, especially for murders, treason, and espionage.
Walker provides numerous reasons from the public and other proponents in support of the death penalty. This piece of writing has been edited in a simple language making it easy to understand. Since this book has comprehensively covered the topic, it is useful literature that can be a reliable secondary source for this topic.