The rate of violent crimes in the United States is one of the highest in the world despite the fact that the US has one of the harshest penal systems in the world. To this end, the US criminal justice system has been on the receiving end of numerous criticisms with regard to its effectiveness in controlling crime. The subject of contention relates to the form of justice adopted and determining which method is effective between restorative, retributive and punitive punishment models. Intertwined with this is the issue of the use of the death penalty as a form of punishment for high profile crimes (Johnson and Johnson 517). Should the criminal justice system adopt a more lenient approach and abolish the use of the death penalty for capital offenses, or should it embark on a more restorative form of justice? This paper argues for the use of the death penalty in the criminal justice system as a form of administering punishment to capital offenders.