Textbook: Title: Criminal Law and Procedure (8th Edition)
Author: John M. Scheb and John M. Scheb II
•Publisher: Cengage Learning.
Directions: Read Discussion Post 1 and Discussion Post 2 and reply to them with two paragraphs each . Include reference when responding to the discussion posts. Use APA format for reference and include page numbers when citing information. In responding to discussion post make sure they are High Quality Post . Your contributions to each topic indicate your mastery of the
materials assigned. Your responses might integrate multiple views and/or provide value for other
participants’ responses.
Discussion Post1
How would you reform the capital system today? Throughout the capital system, I will provide more resources for the people who need more financial support for the American. I think it is imperative to be aware of the impact it will change in those communities who do not have the resources to the have the money.
Should it be limited to the most heinous offenses?  No
Should there be measures to bring the cases to closure more quickly (the average case takes approximately 15 years)?  Yes, I do believe most cases should have closure more quickly because of the amount of cases built up on the system. Some cases workers are not able to found the amount of evidence to move forward with the case.  
What about the treatment of death row inmates pending their years of appeal?  Most appeals are denied in the court of law because of their conviction and some appeals take years to process because of mandatory process they undergo. Most appeal are made through the highest court.
Discussion Post 2
Capital Punishment is one of the issues that I’m iffy on. I support it at times, and then at other times I do not. I feel as though rapist and child molesters should instantly be giving a capital punishment sentence. I do not think that it is a mistake that they made, and I don’t think a lengthy stay in prison is going to change them. When it comes to child molesters, I think they have a chemical imbalance in their brains that make them feel like how they look at children is ok, so no matter how long of a prison sentence they have, that will never change. When it comes to rapist, I feel like that’s a power trip. I don’t think a rapist will ever change because I think they like to feel as though they have that control over an individual. That’s where my bias comes in at. When it comes to murders, I don’t think people necessarily deserve a capital punishment charge, depending on the nature of the crime. I think people make mistakes or do things without thinking sometimes, and that after spending time away from their loved ones, they can definitely learn from their mistakes. I don’t agree with the eye for an eye mindset that a lot of people have. I get that families want justice for their loved ones that have been murdered, but I don’t think taking another life away physically is the proper way. Taking away an individual’s freedom, is justice enough if you ask me. I do think race plays a huge part in capital punishment. In cases where the defendant is black and the victim is white, 9 times out of 10, that individual will receive a capital punishment. Even when the defendant and the victim are black, the defendant is still looking at a capital punishment. Now, when the roles are turned, if a white man commits a heinous crime towards a black victim, he’s usually given at most a 25-year sentence, and all of that isn’t even mandatory a lot of times. And even with the population on being made up of only 12% blacks, the number of blacks sitting on death row is astronomical. So, that just goes to show that race is a determining factor, regardless of people trying to turn a blind eye to it. I’m not sure about other states, but I can say that the death row inmates here in Mississippi are actually treated better than any other custody level inmate. They are the most respected and the most respectful inmates in the penitentiary. The don’t cause any problems, they keep their cells clean, and they only ask for what is supposed to be rightly provided to them. Most of them have accepted that where they are is where they will either die or be until their date of execution is revealed, so they are usually at peace with that. I do think there should be a time frame on how long an individual that has committed a heinous crime has to continue to live. I think that 15-year timeframe is too generous. I think once they get sentenced, give them a few months to get all of their affairs in order and say goodbye to their loved ones. They at least had that luxury whereas they didn’t give that same luxury to their victim’s family.