Are Executions Sometimes Required to Uphold Justice?

Yes, executions are more than often performed to prevent the crime from being committed again by culprit. They are also used to to deter further crimes from being committed by implementing a "scare tactic" to warn other (and future) offenders of the possible retributions of their illegal actions.

Many studies on the potential deterrent effect of capital punishment maintain that the use of capital punishment does help to prevent crime. In one study, the state first suspended the use of capital punishment and then re-enacted it. The evidence showed that during the period of suspension of the death penalty, homicide rates increased by almost 91%. Furthermore, when capital punishment was re-instituted, the murder rate went down in more than 67% of the states participating in the study.

However, this evidence is only correlation and not causation, so it is not right to say that capital punishment does in fact decrease crime. However, keeping culprits off the streets and punishing them for their wrong actions, and so they can never kill again, does help to uphold justice by at least keeping one more killer from killing.

Citation: Capital Punishment. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved February 15, 2009, from Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/93902/capital-punishment