Capital punishment, known as the death penalty, has been a widely debated topic in America regarding its constitutionality after being reinstated in 1976. There are two distinct sides in the debate over whether capital punishment is an unjust punishment. The debate extends to whether the mentally ill and juveniles should be tried as adults and receive the death penalty or whether their mental capacity prevents the government from imposing that punishment. Not only that, but the methods used to administer punishment are also selected and searched. The death penalty has been used in America since colonial times, when settlers came from Europe. At that time, hanging was the most common method of execution. This persisted until the 1900s, when the government switched to methods such as the gas chamber or the electric chair. This continued until Furman v. Georgia 1972, where the Court declared a halt to the death penalty until an appropriate system could be created. This ruling continued until the case of Gregg v. Georgia Supreme Court ruling of 1976, which allowed states to begin administering the punishment (Upfront Magazine). At that time, lethal injection had been invented by Dr. Jay Chapman (CNN). It would become the most widespread death penalty, with 1,204 executions, including 158 by electrocution (deathpenaltyinfo.org). Several Supreme Court cases have restricted the constitutionality of applying the death penalty to mentally sane adults. Some others determined, using the Eighth Amendment, how serious the crime had to be for such extreme punishment to be invoked. The Eighth Amendment states that the court has the power to determine whether a sentence fits the crime or whether the sentence... middle of paper... is wrested by force. Three cases have occurred since 1976. The firing squad is still used by two states, Utah and Idaho. The prisoner is tied to a chair and hooded. Then, five men aim and shoot at the target on the prisoner's chest. Three cases have occurred since 1976. Electrocution was the most common form of execution until lethal injection. The prisoner is tied to a chair and electrodes are attached to his head and legs. Smoke often rises from the head and the smell of burning flesh is always present. No one knows how long the prisoner has been alive, sparking debate over whether this was torture rather than quickly ending a prisoner's life. It's still legal in 11 states. The gas chamber has been used since 1933 and was stopped in 1996 when the California Court of Appeals determined that this method was unconstitutional..