Capital Punishment is a difficult issue to address and has been the subject of highly controversial debate for the past three decades. In 1972, the United States Supreme Court decided in the Furman v. Georgia that the death penalty was a form of cruel and unusual punishment per the 8th Amendment of the Constitution. But in 1975, the court reversed their decision and executions resumed under the state's supervision. Texas did not have another execution until 1982. As of July, Texas had 457 inmates on Death Row. We have 5 executions scheduled before December 15 and another 5 scheduled for January 2000.
The Death Penalty is considered the harshest from of punishment enforced today. The most common form used to execute this task is Lethal Injection; although hanging, electrocution, gas chamber and the firing squad are also approved methods. The big controversy of the death penalty is does it work and is it morally right.
People who favor it say that it is the only way for justice to be carried out and they think the criminal deserves it. People who are against it say that it is immoral and had no place in a civilized society.