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The death penalty, also termed capital punishment as asserted by Constitutional Right Foundation (2012), is criminals' legal execution. Capital punishment means punishment through the head, as the term capital refers to the head. The ancient administration of capital punishment was through hanging. Over time, various approaches came up, including death through shooting, lethal injection, using poisonous gas, and electrocution (Howells, 2018). Capital punishment links back to 1800 in England, whereby over 270 crimes were treated as capital offenses (Maranze, 2011). American colonies practiced capital punishment from as early as 1630. During this time, minor crimes could result in the death penalty. Many people were allowed to be present during the administration of death punishment, but with time, the number was reduced, allowing the execution to occur within prison walls.

Overtime, states revised the rules governing the death penalty, limiting the verdict to first-degree murder. Statistics show an increasing number of individuals going through capital punishment from 1975 to 2010. With time, different states have abolished the death sentence. For instance, Michigan by 1845, while Wisconsin abolished in 1848 (State by State, 2017). After World War II, states like Canada and European states abolished capital punishment leaving America behind. Although capital punishment is legalized to punish crimes like first-degree murder, there is no enough evidence to support taking human life. It is crucial that states carrying out capital punishment abolish such rules as it has a significant impact on communities.

Capital punishment has an extensive impact on the families of convicted individuals. When an individual enters the death raw, family members undergo extensive trauma, stigma, and grief (Schweizer & Beck, 2020). The extensive pain these individuals go through affects their general well-being and survival with the community and may attract old behavior or develop the traumatic disorder in the long run. Having a family member on death row is not easy for those left behind as they will always feel the pressure of their loved one who has gone through trial and executed by their government.

Another serious reason for abolishing the death sentence is that it is not equitably administered. While abolishing capital punishment and offering clemency to 3 offenders, the governor argued there was no equity when deciding the individuals to fall under death row despite the similarity in offenses (State by State, 2017). Persecuting government agencies should apply all relevant measures to uphold equity amongst all individuals despite their abilities, class, or even racial background. Scholars like Maranze (2011) have argued whether race has been used to influence the jury when determining whom to fall under death raw and those who do not fit for capital punishment.

In some cases, juries have neglected various aspects, resulting in crimes like stress disorder that could arise from poor parenting or bullying during childhood. Other factors which could be neglected include the mental status of an offender when a crime occurred. For instance, a case of Holmes Vs. Colorado, where the jury ruled out the claim that the offender was not mentally stable when killing 12 people. The jury rejected the defendant's argument on the reason for insanity to have induced the killing and placed all the accusations on the offender but instead ruled on life sentencing without parole, avoiding death sentencing (State by State, 2020).

Georgia's supreme court upheld capital punishment rules by the states of Georgia, Texas, and Florida but ruled out Louisiana and North Carolina's laws, which made capital punishment mandatory (CRF, 2012). Different states and juries are ruling out the death penalty and considering alternatives to capital punishment. According to the state by state (2017), 28 states in the united states exercise capital punishment while 22 have abolished capital punishment, with 3 having gubernatorial moratoria. Although capital punishment is widespread, human rights organizations' awareness would enable a reduction in capital punishment cases.