Death Penalty?

Question

Do anyone believe that the death penalty serves a deterrent to crime? Why or Why not

Answer 1

The term "deterrent" means preventing similar crimes by other people. The term "incapacitation" means preventing a criminal from reoffending. The death penalty certainly incapacitates criminals. However, it has not been shown to be a deterrent. Homicide rates are higher in states and regions that have the death penalty than in states and regions that do not have it.

Why is this so??? To act as a deterrent, a punishment must be sure and swift. In general, criminals do not think about possible punishment if they think at all. Mostly they assume they will not be caught.

Why isn't the death penalty sure and swift?? Of the 124 people released from death row when proved to have been wrongfully convicted, at least 50 had already served more than a decade. Speeding up the legal process will guarantee that we execute innocent people.

The death penalty is obviously an irreversible punishment. If we make a mistake, oops doesn't cut it.

There is a viable alternative. 48 states now have life without parole on the books. It means exactly what it says. It is sure and it is swift and rarely appealed. It costs much less than the death penalty.

Answer 2

There are two kinds of deterrence, General and Specific Deterrence.

For a punishment to have a General Deterrent Effect, it must be swift, certain, and severe. The way the Death Penalty is administered in the United States, it only meets one of those requirements (severe). There is a low General Deterrent effect because no one thinks they will probably get it.

The Death Penalty DOES have a very high (100%) Specific Deterrent Effect. No one who is given that punishment has ever committed another crime again.

Answer 3

The death penalty does not serve as a deterrent to crime. In fact, the Ehrlich Studies prove that the death penalty is no more of a deterrent than a sentence of life in prison. William Bowers of Northeastern University, a criminologist, agrees. He says that a society is brutalized by the use of capital punishment and thus, more crimes are committed. States that don’t use the death penalty have a lower crime rate than states who do. It’s also not a deterrent because people do not weigh the differences between the death penalty and life in prison. Jim Mattox, Texas Attorney General, says “It is my own experience that those executed in Texas (39% of all executed) were not deterred by the existence of the death penalty law. I think in most cases you’ll find that the murder was committed under severe drug and alcohol abuse.”

*This is directly from my LD Affirmative case

Answer 4

I'm not sure it is a deterrent, as some of the crimes that can garner the death penalty are so gruesome, ridiculous, and spur of the moment, a normal person wouldn't be doing it or thinking about it in the first place.
I can't recall any time someone has said, boy I wanted to kill him but I chose not to because I would get the death penalty.

Answer 5

I think when someone does such a crime that deserves the Death Penalty they don't even think twice about the consequences. Therefore I don't think the Death Penalty deterres the criminal to do the crime.

Answer 6

Yes I do.. But not to those who are so far gone that they really have nothing to lose. But, I do feel it does make at least some criminals think twice before commiting a crime that could result in the death penalty.. I have one problem with it tho..They can sit for years through all kinds of appeals before they exit this world. There should be a limit to the number of appeals and the length of time..

Answer 7

No, I don't think it serves as a deterrent to crime---generally speaking, the people who commit capital murder are psychotic, have no conscious, or just plain evil....They were going to end up killing or committing a heinous crime no matter the punishment they were facing.

Answer 8

sure it does. Well take for instance :: a state, any state, has the reputation for frying murderers, then the next time i go in to rob a 7 eleven, im a gonna thing twice befor killing that clerk.....
You ve never lost a relative to an idiot murderer have you? I had an aunt shot in the chest with her own shotgun by a punk kid, she was 83. It was point blank & exited out her lower back, they said she was sitting in front of him, probably begging. That creep got 25 yrs. That wouldnt near enuff. Eventhough she would probably already be dead today, it wasnt his place to make that decision.
Therefore I think they should fry the bastards.

Answer 9

The death penalty is necessary for killing someone or something like that. But sadly, not all people in prison are really guilty. Injustice can happen.

Answer 10

i personally believe that the death penalty is immoral,
who is anyone to decide who should get to live or die?