Steel bars close suddenly, without knowing if today will be the last day on earth. Death can occur from natural causes or at the hands of another human being. The death penalty is a form of punishment for people who have committed sadistic crimes such as murder. The death penalty is also one of the oldest punishments known to man as it was included in the Code of Hammurabi. Most inmates are put to death by lethal injection and sometimes, though not often, by the electric chair. The death penalty is a controversial topic where some people believe it serves as an example for criminals to think about the consequences of their actions. Others believe that the death penalty is not actually a deterrent to crime, but is also an unconstitutional form of punishment. The death penalty must be abolished because it is unethical, does not deter crime, and costs taxpayers money. The death penalty is considered unethical as most countries have abolished it. One of the reasons it was banned is because some people were found innocent after being executed. The United States and Iraq are some nations that still apply the death penalty. The Death Penalty Worldwide database reports that in Iraq “at least 197 executions were carried out in 2011 and 2012. This brings us to a total of approximately 1,523 prisoners on death row at the end of 2012. As of November 2013, there had been at least 132 executions in 2013 so far”. This explains that Iraq has a high number of executions, even higher than that of the United States. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, since 1976, the number of executions in the United States has been staggering: 1,379. Furthermore, many inmates are later found innocent after… middle of paper… . CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009. 535. “Iraq” print. The death penalty in Iraq. Northwest Law Center for International Human Rights, nd Web. May 22, 2014.Johnson, Kevin. “Study finds no evidence that death penalty deters crime.” Christian Century 129.10 (2012): 17. MasterFILE Premier. Network. May 20, 2014. "Law enforcement views on deterrence." DPIC. Death Penalty Information Center. Network. May 20, 2014Levy, Pema. “An Unlikely Conservative Cause: Abolish the Death Penalty.” Newsweek. Newsweek, May 14, 2014. Web. May 20, 2014. Mills, Steve. "Cameron Todd Willingham case: expert says fire for which father was executed was not arson." Chicago Tribune. Chicago Tribune, August 25, 2009. Web. May 20, 2014."Washington State Courts: News, Reports, Court Information." Washington State Courts: News, Reports, Court Information. Washington State Courts and Web. May 22 2014.