A Controversial Topic Capital punishment has been a controversial issue in our society for centuries. Many are against it for apparently moral reasons, while others argue that it is the fairest method of punishment in serious criminal cases. Due to the controversy surrounding it, it has been abolished in many countries, but remains in place in some, especially those with considerable religious influence, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Capital punishment should be the preferred method of penalizing murderers over life imprisonment, as it protects society, is the fairest form of punishment and warns potential murderers.Protect societyCapital punishment should be applied to help protect society our society, since the murderer has no possibility of repeating a crime through an escape from prison to regain his freedom or by killing cellmates and prison workers. When a murderer receives a prison sentence there is always the possibility that he/she may escape and continue killing other people, causing more problems and suffering for our already deteriorating society. There have been many cases of convicted murderers escaping from prison. A French criminal, Pascal Payet, failed to hijack a protected truck in 1997 and killed the driver by shooting him 14 times. He was then sentenced to 30 years' imprisonment in a French prison, but managed to escape twice with the help of his accomplices by hijacking a helicopter. However, Payet was still identified in Spain and recaptured by the Spanish police, although he underwent cosmetic surgery to alter his appearance. (The Escape Artist's First Prison Break, n.d.). Payet is one of many prison escapees who take advantage of the corrupt prison system...... middle of paper...... f. Robert Blecker on the death penalty [video file]. Retrieved from http://nyls.mediasite.comPhillips, D. P. (1980). The deterrent effect of capital punishment: New evidence on an old controversy. American Journal of Sociology, 86(1), 143.Pojman, L.P., Reiman, J.H. (1998). The death penalty: pros and cons. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Rowe, W.F. (1996, February 1). Convicted by juries, exonerated by science: Case studies of using DNA evidence to establish innocence after trial. National Institute of Justice, 10, 15. Retrieved from, https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/dnaevid.pdf Slopping out case: life of luxury in British prisons. (2011, September 26). TheTelegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/Van Den Haag, E. (1969). On deterrence and the death penalty. The journal of criminal law, criminology and police science, 60, 146-147.