taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishmentCapital punishment,
also referred to as the death penalty, is the judicially ordered execution of a prisoner as a punishment for a serious crime, often called a capital offense or a capital crime.
Some jurisdictions that practice capital punishment restrict its use to a small number of criminal offences, principallytreason and murder.
Prisoners who have been sentenced to death are usually kept segregated from other prisoners in a special part of theprison pending their execution. In some places this segregated area is known as "Death Row."
Historically—and still today under certain systems of law—the death penalty was applied to a wider range of offenses, including robbery or theft. It has also been frequently used by the military for crimes including looting, insubordination, and mutiny.
The term "capital" derives from the Latin caput, meaning "head". Thus, capital punishment is the penalty for a crime so severe that it deserves decapitation (losing one's head).
Death Penalty World Map
- Color Key:
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- Blue: Abolished for all crimes
- Green: Abolished, except for crimes committed under certain circumstances (such as crimes committed in time of war)
- Orange: Abolished in practice
- Red: Legal form of punishment
More on:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment
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