Capital Punishment in AmericaCapital punishment or the death penalty, as it is commonly called, is of all penal practices, the most controversial. This is not at all surprising, considering that it involves taking a human life. Because it is the harshest punishment of all, countless efforts have been made to abolish the death penalty, and these efforts have proven effective in most industrialized countries except Japan. and the United States of America. It is very important to know the issues related to capital punishment because it exists in the country we live in and affects us even if we are not on death row. Since capital punishment is carried out in roughly half the world, it would be difficult to talk about all the circumstances and issues related to capital punishment in every country. Therefore, this analysis will focus on the United States of America. It is difficult to describe the death penalty without mentioning the methods used to carry out this punishment. In the past, different means have been used to achieve this. For example, crucifixion, drowning, burning, impaling, hanging, and shooting have all been used as methods of inflicting legal death on an individual. However, most of them were labeled as inhumane and therefore eliminated in most countries. Thus, in order to “civilize” the execution of a person, new techniques have been developed. For example, in France, the guillotine was created as a quick and civilized way of inflicting death as an alternative to decapitating criminals with a sword, which was sometimes too blunt and required the executioner to swing several times before the work is finished. But Today in the United States, capital punishment is usually inflicted by lethal gas, injection or electrocution. Three states execute by hanging, and three others by firing squad. In the United States, there is a distribution of powers. At the federal level, the death penalty is provided for more than forty crimes, including premeditated murder, drug trafficking and treason. But the federal government allows each state to define crimes and choose its own penalties for crimes committed. Twelve of these fifty states have completely abolished the death penalty. Currently, there are approximately 3,500 people on death row in the United States. California tops the list with 603 offenders awaiting death, and it's possible that by the end of the year another man, Scott Peterson, will join those ranks..