death penalty - is one of the oldest forms of punishment for a crime committed by a person.This is the most severe punishment, which not only takes away the life of the person who committed the gravest crime, but also causes enormous suffering of his loved ones.
Today, most countries abandoned such punishment.International law prohibits the use of the death penalty.This is due to the fact that the main principle of respect for human rights and freedoms recognized by the absolute right to life.
In spite of everything, the death penalty in the US is still used.In addition, America is among the five leading countries in the world, which every year is executed the highest number of death sentences.This list as Iraq, Iran, China and Saudi Arabia.
Today, the death penalty is legal in the United States at the highest federal level and applied in the criminal law 34 states.The US law provides seventy categories of offenses for which this penalty is applied.
Despite the fact that the death penalty in the United States is enshrined in the country's federal legislation, its use is regulated in the criminal law of each state separately.In some states, it does the law not provided, in others - there but not used in practice, in the third - actively used.Some states provide sentenced to choose when and how the death penalty.In the US in different states used different ways to this kind of punishment.Some originate from ancient times, others are more modern.But all of them in their own terrible.
So apply today views the death penalty in the United States the following:
1. The electric chair
This special tool, where umervschleniya sentenced electrical current is passed through his body.In theory, this kind of death most painless, except in cases of equipment failure.For the first time in the United States it was applied in August 1890 in New York.Throughout the 20th century was used in 25 states.Today, only used in 6 - Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Nebraska.
2. Gas chamber
Killing condemned occurs by sudden blowing poisonous gas on death row.This is one of the most cruel and inhumane death.After all, the gas kills immediately, and the person at the same time experiencing a painful punishment.To date, this death penalty in the US is used in four states: Arizona, California, North Carolina and Mississippi.Nowhere else in the world it is not used.
3. Lethal injection
is to introduce into the body of the solution was sentenced poison.It is considered the most humane forms of death.However unnecessarily painful.For this reason, lethal injections are banned in some US states: Florida, Ohio, New Jersey and Missouri.
4. Execution
Killing achieved using firearms.The condemned are usually put on the wall.Often, given the choice on blindfolds.Today, the US shot is used as an alternate species in only two states - Oklahoma and Idaho.
5. Hanging
This type of death penalty exists in the US today.But it is almost never used.Legislated hanging only two states of Washington and New Hampshire.
