Do you think Capital Punishment is a deterrent?

Question

I believe that it would be if we didn't hide the process so much. I believe that public executions should be televised so that it would serve as a warning to those thinking about committing a crime. No worse than what Hollywood puts out these days. Do you remember the audio of Nick Berg? Chilling wasn't it? You would get more people's attention if you did this.(not the beheading way) We are too political correct in this country these days. What say you?

Note that this would be pretaining to only pre-meditated murder.

I am submitting that if we showed capital punishment procedure that way it really is, then It would be a deterrent. It's like it is there, but not really there.

Answer 1

Here are some things that you may not know. (The sources are listed below- you can check them out.)

Did you know that murder rates are higher in states that have the death penalty than in states that do not. No reputable study has shown that the death penalty is a deterrent.
Killers don't care about consequences, don't even think they will be caught (if they think at all) whether or not they are in a death penalty state.

Someone else has already pointed out that the death penalty costs more than life in prison.

48 of 50 states now have life without parole on the books. It means what it says and spending the rest of your life is not a picnic. (Watch the MSNBC documentaries about supermax prisons.) Life without parole also prevents a criminal from reoffending (incapacitates him) and is swift and sure (both necessary for a punishment to be a deterrent,)

123 people on death row have been shown to be innocent. You may not know that DNA evidence is available in less than 10% of all homicides and is not a guarantee that we won't execute an innocent person. (You should read the stories of Ray Krone and Kirk Bloodsworth to see how the criminal justice system can come so close to killing average, decent people for crimes committed by others. These cases are chilling.) Many of the innocent people finally released had already served over 2 decades. Speeding up the process will make it very likely that we will send an innocent person to his death.

When was the last time that a wealthy person faced the death penalty or even came close? The death penalty doesn't apply to the worst of the worst but to defendents with the worst lawyers.

The death penalty can be very hard on victims families. Many murder victim family members across the country argue that the drawn- out death penalty process is painful for them and that life without parole is an appropriate alternative.

These things have nothing to do with coddling criminals.

Answer 2

I don't think these methods would work. People who commit crimes that come with a death penalty sentence generally are not rational, clear thinking people. If they were considering that they could loose their life they probably wouldn't be engaging in this behavior in the first place.Also while I do agree their is a lot of violence on tv, i think because its on tv its kind of remote to people. In some ways I think its bad because people dont really get the value of life.Then also what happens when they later find more evidence and it comes out the person may actually hav been innocent. I do think that in america we have a tendency to be to politically correct, but Im not completly sold on capital punishment either. I do however believe in life imprisonment for a number of crimes, some stuff you cant just rehabilitate.

Answer 3

No, it's not a deterrent. Primarily because usually the people who commit crimes do not think they are going to get caught. Hence they don't think of the punishment because after all they aren't going to get caught. If a person who was about to commit a crime knew without a doubt that he would be caught, by far and large the majority would not commit that crime.
Lastly, how on earth are you comparing this to Nick Berg? You are completely off track. Nick Berg did not commit a crime, instead he was kidnapped and beheaded for no other reason then being an American (he was a civilian helping to re-build Iraq, telecommunications anyway) the thing that was so disturbing about Nick Berg was the complete lack of respect for life these terrorists had. It further enforced the fact that terrorists are a bunch of p*ssies, attacking civilian targets, kidnapping people who have nothing to do with the strife, and validating their religious radical ideology because if they do that for Allah there will be numerous virgins waiting for them in the afterlife. There is no comparison with Nick Berg, and shame on you for even trying to make one.

Futhermore, It's actually more expensive to give them the death penalty then it is for life imprisonment. Don't believe me? Research it yourself, one of the reasons is it's an automatic appeal in the death penalty cases, amoung other reasons.

Answer 4

If capital punishment were effective, we would need far less of it than we have right now.

Killers kill even though they know they might get caught and executed. Why? Because execution isn't enough of a deterrent.

It may work with you, but it doesn't work with people with violent tendencies.

The key question is, do you want to punish killers or deter killing?

Answer 5

yes death penalty is a deterrent. it needs to be revised so that One appeal is reviewed no later than 1 yr after conviction. Sentence should be carried out within one month after appeal is denied. No more 10+yrs on death row.
As for public exposure,...yes..
news/Hollywood routinely show/talk of death..Death is a reality everyday ever where on this planet,,
People need to be reminded that some humans kill ;those humans who CHOOSE to kill do not need to be able to kill others or even contribute to the gene pool..

Answer 6

Capital punishment has on no account been shown to be a deterrent to crime. in actuality, curiously to have the alternative result. take a seem on the chart below, and you’ll see that dying penalty states have continually – and heavily – greater homicide rates (consistent with one hundred,000 inhabitants) than non-DP states. no one knows precisely why it is, yet there are various theories. some learn have proposed a "brutalizing result," wherein human beings (consciously or no longer) persist with the government's lead in assuming that killing somebody is unquestionably a valid answer to a subject. in one intense-profile case, all of us understand that Ted Bundy craved the exposure of a capital trial, so he chosen Florida – the main energetic execution state on the time – to accomplish his very final homicide spree. the better homicide rates are in all risk due, a minimum of in part, to the intense fee of capital punishment. because of the extensive criminal equipment designed to cut back wrongful executions, it costs taxpayers lots extra to execute somebody than to imprison them for existence. for this reason, each and every extra suitable dollar spent (wasted) on capital punishment is one it incredibly can no longer police departments, drug scientific care courses, coaching, and different government amenities that help avert crime. for my area, i think of it additionally has to do with the hypocrisy of taking a stand against homicide…by using killing human beings. the government fosters a lifestyle of violence by using asserting, ‘do as I say, no longer as I do.’

Answer 7

Capital Punishment isn't a deterrent.

Answer 8

Whether Capital Punishment is a deterrent or not it's the right thing to do.

Answer 9

I think it might be, but if we have sent even one innocent man to his death than the system has failed in my opinion.

Criminals knowing that a "victim" might be strapped would make them think twice.

We need to focus less on destroying worthless criminals via death penalty and more on pro-actively protecting citizens.

If you knew that someone was coming to your home at 7:30 PM this evening to shoot you & called the cops. They would tell you they couldn't do anything until an incident happened.

Thanks junk lawyers, and bad legislation!

Answer 10

we have been on this earth for almost 5000 years and it hasn't worked yet. If you don't believe me ask a Texan or somebody from Saudi Arabia. There is a difference between political correctness and maturing as a human race.