Should an individual be killed for his crimes or mistakes? New York Times writer Adam Liptak found that: “According to about a dozen recent studies, executions save lives. For every prisoner put to death, studies say, 3 to 18 murders are avoided." Therefore, the death penalty must be maintained in the United States of America in order to protect its citizens and properly enforce justice. The death penalty ensures just punishment for the loved ones of the criminal's victim. In 1977, Clarence Ray Allen was convicted of murder after arranging the death of a witness against him in a burglary case and later sentenced to life in prison without parole. In 1980, Allen organized the killing of witnesses who had worked against him in his previous conviction. Ultimately, Allen was sentenced to death, but was only executed in 2006 (Ardaiz). During those twenty-six painful years, the families and loved ones of the victims had to spend their days knowing that the one who had torn their family apart was still alive. As James A. Ardaiz, former judge and prosecutor in Allen's case, succinctly put it: “Punishment is not just a societal need; it is a right of the victims." One person to whom the death penalty brought peace was John Rizzotti. Rizzotti's 78-year-old great-grandmother was sexually abused and killed in 1980 by Manuel Babbitt, and Rizzotti says her family found relief in Babbitt's execution in 1999. Rizzotti says the legal process from conviction to execution was frustrating, but believes that the families of murder victims have the right to see their murderers put to death. “What he did and the way he did it was so incredibly gruesome that there was......half of the document......ies Union, 11 December 2012. Web. 01 February 2014. “First, abolish the death penalty.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, March 12, 2012. Web. February 03, 2014. Holmes, Sue M. “1980 New Mexico Prison Riot Still Haunts 25 Years Later.” ABQjournal: The 1980 New Mexico prison riot still haunts 25 years later. The Albuquerque Journal, February 2, 2005. Web. February 5, 2014."If the Death Penalty is Abolished, What Will Happen Next?" Msnbc.com. NBC, 2013. Web. 05 February 2014.Jones, Ashby and Steve Eder. “Cost Tests to Support the Death Penalty.” The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, October 12, 2012. Web. February 6, 2014. Liptak, Adam. "Does the death penalty save lives? A new debate." The New York Times. The New York Times, November 18, 2007. Web. February 1, 2014.Severson, Kim. “Georgia Board of Pardons Denies Clemency to Death Row Inmate.” The New York Times. The New York Times, September 20, 2011. Web. February 3. 2014.