Against Death Penalty

Those who judge and condemn, say that capital punishment is necessary. Firstly, because it is necessary to remove from the social community a member who has already injured it, and might injure it even more. If that is all, a life sentence would suffice. What is the use of bringing death? You may argue that one might escape from jail — keep better watch, then! Let there be no executioner where the jailer suffices.

One might also say society must avenge itself, society must punish. Neither one nor the other: vengeance is an individual act, and punishment belongs to God. Society is between the two; punishment is above it, vengeance is beneath it. Nothing so great or so small should be in its sphere. Society should not punish in order to avenge itself; it should correct, in order to improve!

The third and last reason remains, the theory of examples. It is imperative to set examples. By the sight of the fate inflicted on criminals, we must shock those who might otherwise be tempted to imitate them! Well; above all, we deny the power of the example. We deny that the spectacle of torment produces the desired effect. Rather than edifying the common people, it demoralizes them and blunts in them all sensibility.

Victor Hugo. Le dernier jour d’un condamné, Paris, Eugène Renduel, 1832. pp XXII e XXIII (adapted).