Between 1977 and 2010, an estimated 8,000 people were on Death Row in the US and out of those 8,000, more than 1,200 were actually executed (Siennick, 2012). Policy makers and scholars have been especially interested in whether the death penalty serves a crime-control function by deterring prospective murderers (Siennick, 2012). This debate on whether or not the Death Penalty is an effective deterrent is important to our society because we need to understand the impact of this ultimate and final punishment. Expectations of deterrence follow from the basic idea that potential murderers decide whether to kill after considering the benefits and costs of killing (Siennick, 2012). The Death Penalty as punishment can be a deciding factor to a potential murderer when they make the decision whether to kill someone or not. There is assorted evidence on whether or not this happens and there isn’t a chosen method to gather data that fully supports this idea. A review of the available evidence recently led a National Research Council committee to conclude—again—that we still do not know whether the legal status or use of capital punishment has any influence on homicide (Siennick, 2012). Research methods have shown that a short-term deterrent effect holds true only for non-felony homicides. Felony homicides actually increase slightly after an execution (Siennick, 2012). According to research done in Texas, felony homicides are the only type of homicides that are eligible for the Death Penalty. This does pose a problem for determining whether or not the Death Penalty is an effective deterrent or not. Land et al. suggests that their findings point to subtypes of potential murderers who might respond differently to the threat of execution (Sien... ... middle of paper ... ..., 1993). Therefore, in order for the proponent of the deterrence argument to defend his or her argument, he or she is drawn into a swamp of problems where it doesn’t seem that any clear answers can be given (Reitan, 1993). According to Deathquest, the evidence shows that there is no evidence showing that capital punishment deters more than an alternative non-capital punishment such as life imprisonment without opportunity of parole (LWOP). Available evidence indicates that capital punishment makes no discernible difference on homicide or murder rates. Assumptions and major issues with the deterrence theory include: Most murderers probably do not rationally calculate the consequences of their actions before they act, they doubt that they will be caught, they may not know what constitutes capital murder, and if they have killed before they may not care (Bohm 2011).
Deterrence theorists view murder as rational behavior, and assume that in calculating the gains and losses from killing, potential offenders are aware of the death penalty and regard it as a more severe sanction than imprisonment. Because the threat of one's own death presumably outweighs the rewards gained from killing another, murder is not an option for most people and always discouraged. In addition, some noted proponents assert that capital punishment provides an important educative function in society by validating the sanctity of human life (Berns, 1979; van den Haag, 1975; van den Haag & Conrad, 1983). Despite this logic, some challenge the applicability of deterrence to murder. Rather than being a product of deliberation and calculation, it is known that most murders are emotionally charged and their crimes are spontaneous events; they are "acts of passion" or result from a situated transaction rather than from deliberation (Bowers & Pierce, 1980; Chambliss, 1967; Luckenbill, 1977). Indeed, a significant proportion of homicides may not be intended. The situation escapes calm discussion, or due to some extraneous factor, an assault victim dies. Under such conditions, it is unlikely that perpetrators ("killers") give serious thought to whether they reside in a death penalty jurisdiction, or the possibility of execution.
Robert Lee makes many arguments to argue justification of capital punishment in his article, “Deserving to Die.” Some of the stronger ones involve the deterrent effect of the use of the death penalty, why the cost of execution is so high, and how the use of the death penalty increases overall public safety. In Lee’s first argument, he argues that the use of capital punishment helps reduce overall crime by acting as a deterrent to crime. In at least one respect, capital punishment is unquestionably a deterrent, as Lee puts it, “It simply cannot be contested that a killer, once executed, is forever deterred from killing again” (142). Of course, a deceased killer can never kill again, but the effect that death penalty has on others, potential future criminals, is the important question. Lee argues that whether or not it is a deterrent, relies on how swiftly and surely the death penalty is executed. The majority of people are afraid of dying, and if they could choose, would prefer not to die anytime soon. This proves how the death penalty can be a deterrent to other potential criminals to not kill someone, out of fear that they will be put to death themselves. There have also been some circumstances where actual statistical evidence proves the deterrent effect of capital punishment. In the time since the Utah Supreme Court ruled in 1976 that capital punishment be legalized again in the state, there have been three executions. After each of the executions, specifically the year after the executions took place, there were significant decreases in both the number and the rate of murders within the state, compared to previous year(s) (Lee 143). Lee himself does acknowledge that of course there are other variables that could have influence...
Nagin, D., Pepper, J., National Research Council (U.S.)., National Research Council (U.S.)., National Research Council (U.S.)., & National Research Council (U.S.). (2012). Deterrence and the death penalty. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Phillips, D. P. (1980). The Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment: New Evidence on an Old.
The study by Edwin Sutherland, which gave a confirmation that the death penalty does deter crime, however criminologists have started to prove this wrong, even calling it a myth. Michael L. Radeltt & Traci L. Lacock’s 2009 survey of the members of the American Criminology Society found that 88% of criminologist at ACS did not believe the death penalty was capable of deterring murderers and lowering crime. This belief begins the multitude of questions as to why criminologist believe the death penalty does not deter crime. Thus brings the question of if the death penalty deters crime back to step one along with a multitude of questions; do other factors contribute to the deterrence of crime? The stance, albeit varied, ranges from two spectrums of the opposite of the argument concerning the death penalty; the death penalty doesn’t deter crime, or there is no concrete evidence that proves that the death penalty does deter
Reitan, Eric. "Why the Deterrence Argument for Capital Punishment Fails." Criminal Justice Ethics 12.1 (1993): 26-33. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
Radelet, Michael L., and Ronald L. Akers. "Deterrence And The Death Penalty: the Views Of The Experts[*]." Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology 87.1 (1996): 1. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 28 Feb. 2011.
Phillips, D. P. (1980). The Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment: New Evidence on an Old.
Despite recent ridiculing of capital punishment, the sentence has popular and political support. A poll in a 1997 Time magazine stated that seventy-four percent of those surveyed were in favor of the death penalty (Schonebaum 6). Many of these supporters believe that capital punishment deters crime. Deterrence is the idea that the threat of punishment must be severe enough to counter the pleasures that the criminal would receive from committing the crime (Harries 11). Even if a person gathers that capital punishment does in fact deter crime, they are left pondering if the death penalty is a more effective deterrent than life imprisonment.
From the articles reviewed, there is no clear answer to the subject matter. Whereas most authors argue that capital punishment deters homicide, some scholars have also proven that this is just a mere coincidence. Since both sides, including the proponents of capital punishment and those that disagree with it, have justified their claims with statistics and proven evidence, further research needs to be carried out to know whether or not the sentence deters homicide.
Death penalty supporters believe that capital punishment is the only sure way to deter murderers from committing murders again. “The argument that murderers are the least likely of all criminals to repeat their crimes is not only irrelevant, but also increasingly false. Six percent of young adults paroled in 1978 after having been convicted of murder were arrested for murder again with six years of release” (Death Penalty Paper).
Society often uses death penalty to prevent future murders. If murders are sent to execution, potential murders would think twice before committing any crime for the fear of losing their own lives. According to a study conducted by Isaac Ehrlich in 1973, he employed a new kind of analysis which formed results showing that for every murderer who was executed; seven lives were spared because others were discouraged from committing murder (Center, 2000). Moreover, another study by the professors Adler and Summers, examining twenty six years period (from 1979 to 2004). It was clear that as the executions in America increased, murder decreased (Death Penalty Deters Future Murders, According to Remarkable New Empirical Study, 2007) . Since society has high concern in avoiding murder, it should use the toughest punishment presented to deter murder, and that is the death penalty (Center, 2000). The fact that countries with no executed death penalty has lower crime rate, doesn’t mean that it’s a failure of deterrence. In fact, countries with high crime rates would have increased more wit...
“The homicide rate is at least five times greater in the united states than in any western European country” (Carter, 2012, part.4). No where does studies show a substantial net deterrent effect from capital punishment under modern U.S. conditions. In fact 88.2% of polled criminologists do not believe that the death penalty is a deterrent (Rodelet,2009, p.3). Im sure that persons contemplating murder do not sit around and say hey you know what I won’t commit this murder because I’ll face the death penalty. No, planned murders don’t plan on getting caught.
Capital punishment, a topic that is constantly debated, is questioned on whether or not it serves its purpose which is to deter criminals and if it is morally acceptable. It is my goal to evaluate arguments that promote or reject capital punishment and its deterrence factor. It would be beneficial comparing crime statistics for states that uphold and states that abolish capital punishment. Finally, an investigation of criminals facing the death penalty and their thoughts as well as modern prison conditions will provide insight to this debate. Capital punishment could be a great deterrent to crime or it may have no effect at all.
The use of capital punishment greatly deters citizens from committing nefarious crimes, such as murder (“Justice Is Served with the Death Penalty”). In general, one of the things people fear the most is death; therefore they are less likely to perform heinous actions if they know that death is a punishment for it. Ernest van den Haag, professor at Fordham University, stated, “ …capital punishment is likely to deter more than other punishments because people fear death more than anything else. They fear most, death deliberately inflicted by law and scheduled by the courts….Hence, the threat of the death penalty may deter some murderers who otherwise might not have been deterred. And surely the death penalty is the only penalty that could deter prisoners already serving a life sentence and tempted to kill a guard, or offenders about to be arrested and facing a life sentence.” Ernest’s argument is that capital punishment is the strongest deterrent society has against murder. Isaac Ehrlich cond...