There is an ongoing debate surrounding the criminal justice system, focusing specifically on the controversial topic of capital punishment. Capital punishment is the lawfully authorized execution of an individual as punishment for a specific offence usually of a severe and serious nature. The study provides a comprehensive overview of capital punishment by noting that punishments are based on the same objective of punishing the offender, whether it is death penalty, life imprisonment or imprisonment. The aim of the study is to examine the two main theories relating to the death penalty that is the reformative theory and the deterrence theory. The researcher adopted the doctrinal research method which is the use of both primary and secondary source material dealing with the subject matter under review. In course of the research, the research observed that often time without number, innocent persons have been wrongfully sentenced to the death penalty and executed wrongly too. The study therefore recommend that reformative theory as opposed to deterrent theory should be encourage as it provide for reformation and reintegration. The study contributed to knowledge by re-affirming that reformative theory of punishment as opposed to deterrent theory is more consonance with the reintegration of the criminal into the society.