IELTS Essay, topic: Capital punishment

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Without capital punishment (the death penalty) our lives are less secure and crimes of violence increase. Capital punishment is essential to control violence in society. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Capital punishment is always associated with ignorance and intolerance. In fact, we must acknowledge that some people disagree with this kind of penalty, but others vote in its favor. Portugal was the first European country to end this kind of penalty. Since the 19th century, tolerance and respect for life are important values. Moreover, we can affirm that all the Europe remains under the same codes. Maybe because of a religious view point, the respect for life is a typical value in the Old Catholic world.

Those who are in favor of capital punishment mostly live in developing countries. However, this is not just an image of the Third World countries. Actually, the USA is one country where this kind of punishment has its higher rates of application. The state of Texas, in particular, is at the top, supporting this measure against crime, especially those involving serial killers and crimes against children. In a society dominated by fear and government control, it is foreseen that this penalty will continue into a future next.

Maybe this is not a simple question. As we can see there are several values here and of course cultural behavior. The roots of the question are religious, cultural, ethical and even geographical. The world is divided and the law systems show this division. The solutions, however can lead us to other questions concerning revenge and justice. It will be better to kill a person because of his crimes? Can we admit that a life sentence could be a much better sentence? In fact, rehabilitation is the right way especially with an accurate psychological evaluation first. Some people are lost forever, and in my opinion some murderers and other criminals will suffer more in jail. In this sense, capital punishment is an easy way out.

This is a good essay, you should do well in the Task 2 Writing Test.