Death_Penalty_And_Mental_Retardation

Death Penalty And Mental Retardation This paper shall examine and qualify the issues surrounding the imposition of the death penalty onto the mentally retarded and the mentally ill. Within this paper, the phrase mentally ill shall be applied to those who are of normal intelligence yet who suffer from mannerisms or behaviors that alter their perceptions. The phrase mentally retarded shall be applied to individuals who suffer from conditions that result in lower intelligence and comprehension levels. This issue is loaded in terms of issues surrounding the morality of the situation: The fundamental question at stake within this particular issue is whether or not the mentally ill and the mentally retarded can be punished in the same manner as those who commit the same crimes and are considered to be of normal mental stability and functionality. This argument therefore is expressed within two distinct factions: The first faction consists of those who endorse the death penalty as a measure of punishment for the same types of crimes, regardless as to the mental state of whomever commits the crime. There are many reasons for this rationalization, and these reasons shall be addressed at a later point within this paper. death, penalty, mentally, system, mental, ill, retarded, individual, goldstein, state, punishment, within, amnesty, legal, international, human, states, serious, role, retardation, individuals, being, 2000, yet, rights, released, one, might, issue, innocent, due, culpability, case, care, watch, united