CJS 207 - The Death Penalty

Semester Hours: 2

This course explores the death penalty, the ultimate penalty meted out by the state. The class will address a series of important questions: Which societies have used capital punishment and in what circumstances? Which countries besides the US continue to use the penalty? What methods of execution do states use? What legal standards are applied to the death penalty in the US? Does the death penalty deter crime? What do Americans think about the death penalty? What impact does being on death row have for inmates and their families? What issues of injustice and reform are raised by the use of capital punishment?