FRM/EDPD/342

CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL

CARIBBEAN ADVANCED PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION

COVER SHEET FOR THE PORTFOLIO

COMMUNICATION STUDIES

Name of Centre: __The Bishop’s High School__

Centre Code:________________________________________

Name of Candidate: __Yolmina Saint-Lot__

Candidate’s Registration No.: _______________________________________

Theme of Portfolio:___Capital Punishment__

COMMENTS

MARKS

Maximum Obtained

A. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 12 5

- Theme and Purpose 2

- Treatment 4
- Relationship to academic interests 2
- Relationship to work-related interests 2
- Relationship to personal interests 2

B. EXPOSITION 16

- Discussion of issues and challenges 5

- Evaluation of effects 4
- Organisation 3
- Delivery 4

C. REFLECTION
14

- Preface 4
- Rest of reflection sample 10

D. ANALYSIS 18

- Content 8
- Expression 5
- Organisation 5

TOTAL 60

Teacher’s Signature: __________________ Date: ____________________

Revised September 2013

Internal Assessment
 Communication
Studies
Caribbean Advanced
Proficiency Exam
(CAPE) 2019-2020
Name: Yolmina Saint-Lot
Form: L6A
Centre No.:
Candidate No.:
Territory: Guyana

Capital
School: The Bishops’ High School

Punish
ment: Is
it Really
Necessa
ry?
Table of Content
Thesis Statement ……………………………………………………………………. 1
Justification ………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Expository Speech …………………………………………………………………... 3
Preface ………………………………………………………………………………. 6
Poem …………………………………………………………………………………. 7
Analysis and Conclusion ………………………………………………………………. 13
Bibliography ………………………………………………………………………….. 15

Thesis Statement:
Capital Punishment: Is it Really Necessary?

Looking at the issue of wrongful convictions and many other reasons leading up to the unethical
use of Capital Punishment, the researcher will use this IA in order gather the necessary
information to see if when an individual is convicted, how many measures and how much
investigation is put in place to find out the integrity of the conviction and how the defendant’s
right to fair trial can be guaranteed.

1.

Justification
Death penalty should not be given to persons whether they have committed gruesome homicides
or not. There must always be enough evidence that a person has committed the crime accused of
before any conviction can even be done. The death penalty is just another sentence or form of
justice which should not be the case. This topic relates to my career choice, which is Criminal
Lawyer. I would like to be both a Criminal Lawyer as well as a Family Lawyer with my focus
being on Criminal Law.

2.

Expository Speech
The researcher has posited that the death penalty has become a criminal justice area that has

attracted a serious debate to prove whether it should be abolished or not. This punishment has

very strong support from the public as citizens as it holds to discourage criminals from

committing crimes as they are just as afraid of dying as others human beings. While, on the other

hand those who oppose hold that there are enough reasons for this penalty to be put to an end.

For instance, it is argued that this does not daunt the crime rate as it does not speak to the real

motivation that causes people to commit criminal acts. The researcher argues that the death

penalty should be abolished because it is not one of the best methods of punishing criminals and

addressing crime.

Capital punishment is not an effective way of deterring crime contrary to arguments of those

who support it. This is because it lacks the deterrent effect to which its advocates commonly

refer. Therefore, a rapid increase in the number of law professionals are seriously questioning the

effectiveness of the penalty in preventing crime. It is wrongly assumed that one would not want

to commit crime since it would possibly land them into the capital punishment. There is however

no evidence to support this assumption. Although one may fear death, as it is assumed, it still

does not stop them from committing crimes that does not deserve a death penalty.

The penalty in any case is very inhumane because there is no humane way to kill. ‘In 2006 for

instance, a lethal injection that was used to execute Angel Nieves Diaz and was said to be

‘humane’ took 34 minutes and was administered in two doses. According to doctors’ opinion on

the case, it is likely that Diaz underwent a painful death and thus the procedure could not have

3.

been humane in any way.’ Other execution methods used across the world are beheading,
shooting, and hanging. The nature of these deaths is such that they only continue to perpetuate

the violence cycle.

Moreover, the penalty makes a public spectacle or joke out of the death of an individual. Victims

that are executed are often humiliated in the eyes of the public, with lethal injections. UN human

rights experts hold that there is no sanctioned reason served by public executions which

according them, only increases the punishment’s degrading, inhuman, and cruel nature.

Normally, a human being should be allowed the right to die in a dignified manner and ‘privately’

so they may have peace during the transition. It is a right that not even the law should take away.

Contrary to the death penalty proponents’ argument that it applies fairly to all criminals, this is

not the case as some people are left sentenced to death due to poor quality defense. As observed

by OADP (2018), ineffective assistance of counsel is one of the factors that frequently cause

reversals in death penalty cases. “Columbia University found that 68% of all death penalty cases

were reversed on appeal, with inadequate defense as one of the main reasons requiring reversal”

(OADP, 2018). Thus, it follows that whether or not one gets the death sentence largely lies in

their ability to afford high quality defense. This makes this punishment method unfair.

Further, the death penalty cannot be taken back once it is executed. People may end up paying

for crimes they never committed are a result of absolute judgments. An example of such case is,

(“Texas man Cameron Todd Willingham was executed in Texas in 2004 for allegedly setting a

fire that killed his three daughters” (Amnesty International Australia, 2018). However, it would

later be revealed through evidence that he was not the one who set that fire. Mr. Willingham, an

4.
innocent citizen had paid with his life a crime he never knew anything about nor committed. As

is clear here, being declared innocent was of no use for him since it could not bring him back to

life. As such, criminal justice systems should apply punishment methods that allow for the

setting free of individuals should further evidence prove them innocent after they are punished.)

Conclusion

The death penalty does not address crime effectively as it is purported to. Instead, it’s upon the

human right of undergoing a dignified death and dying peacefully and out of public’s attention.

There can never be a humane way to kill and no matter the crime one has committed, they should

not be subjected to this painful process of dying. The punishment is also not fair as some people

might while others might not afford to hire quality lawyers to defend them. Moreover, it cannot

be taken back, and this means once persecuted, one can never regain their innocence as well as

their life.

5.
Preface
The poem “Is It Really Necessary” was written in a Free Verse form so that different thoughts,
facts and opinions can be reasonably fit into the poem. This piece could be performed at a
jail/prison so that alleged convicts can be made aware of their rights within the constitution. It
can also be performed at a University, as an aid to the students to see a different light on Capital
Punishment. This piece explains why Capital Punishment is not necessary, and that there are
other punishments other than the Death Penalty that is much more deserving than that. Since the
judicial system, has been proven to be very unstable as it relates to serving justice. It has been
found that the judicial system has failed, when convicting persons and automatically putting
them on death row. There were many instances where after a person is killed, they were found
not guilty of the crime and as a result the punishment given cannot be reversed because the
defendant is already dead. This is just one reason why the death penalty should be abolished. In
the poem “Is It Really Necessary” you will read more about why.

6.
Poem
“Is It Really Necessary”
As Mahatma Gandhi once said,
"An eye for an eye will make the world go blind,
but today’s society would not mind,
although this quote may be as old as the sun and the stars,
it can be applied to society today

Is it right to kill someone who kills?

They kill someone who killed someone,
But doesn’t that sound ironic to you?
We stoop as low as them,
we punish them,
by doing the same thing to them,
the same thing they are being punished for.
Before we decide to do something as major as this,
We must first know what is happening,

The criminal is hanged,

What purpose does that serve?
The criminal is poisoned with gas in a gas chamber;
What purpose does that serve?
The criminal was given a lethal injection;
What purpose does that serve?
The criminal was killed by a firing squad;
WHAT PURPOSE DOES THAT SERVE!?

7.
Any other person can do the crime,
I can do it, You can too,
But does it make the crime non-existent?
Does it change reality?
How many criminals can you kill?

The crimes need to be killed.

When the crimes are killed then criminals will then be wiped out.
Why kill cruelty with cruelty?
Did it fix the crime that was committed?
Let them serve,
Let them serve the time.
Let them serve the time to pay,
To pay for the crime that they have committed.
Every human has a right to life,
Am I wrong or am I right?

Every human has the right,

To decide whether to live or die,
Even those who have committed crimes.
Capital Punishment undermines human dignity.
It undermines humanity,
It undermines ethnicity,
It is very immoral.

If your skin tone is between

Caramel, and Coffee
8.
You would be at a higher risk
A higher risk as it relates to being put on death row
Why does one have to be afraid?
That if once they are arrested, they may die
Why!?
Why does one have to be afraid?
If you do not agree with me,
Maybe you will now.
Think about it this way
If a person has done a crime,
Although severe,
Should the person really be killed also?
I think not.
Because, as the victim’s family
Most times,
They would want the criminal to suffer in jail
To pay the price,
For years,
And years,
And years!
And to be truthful
It is an easy way out
It is an easy way out for criminals

What about wrongful conviction?

Did you think of that?
Persons are hanged,
9.
Persons are poisoned with gas,
Persons are lethally injected,
Persons are killed by a fire squad
Then afterwards found not guilty!
Not Guilty! They say.
Does that change anything?
The person is already dead.
The person has already died.
The person
Was
Already
Killed.
I can’t imagine the families that had to face the harsh truth.
It is wrong,
It is just wrong.
Killing an alleged convict
Serves no purpose.

So why?
Why the death penalty?
Did you know
That the death penalty does not drive person away from killing?
What about the mentally ill?
What about the troubled teens?
Heck, they may know all too well about the death penalty
But do they care?
Death penalty is the easy way out
10.
If they know that they can get the ‘easy’ way out
That may drive them more to commit the crime
That may cause them to create havoc
On the crime scene
Making it worse than it needs to be.
Just so that,
He may know for sure
That he is on the death row

When a man performs a murderous act,

They take the life of a person
That many other people may know and love
And as normal people we may want revenge
We may just want to kill him ourselves
We may just want to crack his skull
Then we may feel that justice is served
The we may feel like yes,
He had to die
And that somehow would make us satisfied

That all that same hatred

And all that same bitterness,
Will just make it all just fine,
Despite all negligence
But I,
I truly think that this is ridiculous,
I think that no man should be,
11.
No matter his sins,
No matter the yearn to justify
Spared of his life, given a chance to live
But still,
Pay for what he has done.

12.
Analysis
In the poem entitled, “Is It Really Necessary”, written by Yolmina Saint-Lot, there were

many different language conventions incorporated within the piece. Although there were many

language conventions used, there are two of which that were profoundly used and therefore

analyzed. The two language conventions used were language registers and attitudes to language.

Throughout the poem a language register which is the formal register was used. This was

done in order to show that the topic or major situation is important and not to be played with.

This was best shown in Stanza two (2), three (3) and six (6). The use of formal register goes to

show that the matter at hand is serious and should not at any point in time be only used to the

benefit of others or oneself. Using the formal register gives no scope for misinterpretation.

Without the room for misinterpretation persons will then be able to understand the point of view

in which the researcher is coming from. Persons involved in the decision making as it relates to

deciding the penalty will then take into consideration the motive given in the poem in order to

improve the communication so that the intended message can be quickly put into action.

In Stanza five (5) of the poem there was a significant use of Attitude to language.

Formality was used mostly as was stated in the previous paragraph, to show the weight of the

situation. Informality was not used to ensure the importance of the message was put across. If

informal register was used, then persons may take the message and the situation lightly. The

formal register ensures that persons take the message seriously. Therefore, informal language

would be inappropriate as the creole used may cause anything said to be rather “funny” than

“serious”.

13.
 In conclusion, the poem was written not only to address the seriousness of the matter but

for the punishment to be put to a stop so that even the innocently convicted people are not

crucified as a result of wrongful conviction.

14.
Bibliography

https://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=18

https://www.bing.com/search?q=capital+punishment+&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-

1&pq=capital+punishment+&sc=8-19&sk=&cvid=896D2368E17A4882B8D13A2BAF2F2B76#

Antoine, R. B., Commonwealth Caribbean Law and Legal Systems, Routledge-Cavendish 2008.

15.