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Science lacking on whether death penalty deters murder

12 Comments

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© 2012 AFP

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The probability of being caught and punished is a big factor. Knowing that there was a 100% chance of being caught should deter any rational person from committing a crime. That leaves the irrational lunatics, who won't be deterred by any form of punishment.

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At the end of the day we live in a Capitalist society, and while it may, at first, seem callous to view this as purely a financial issue that is what it comes down when one considers that funds spent on the prison system could be used to feed hungry children or crime prevention programmes that could save lives. At present the death penalty is simply too expensive, costing millions of dollars, and while housing a prisoner for life (20 years) isn't cheap it certainly is cheaper than the death penalty. Thus the death penalty should be abolished or made cheaper.

Moral arguments on this issue inevitably fall down. The right to life of the murderer inevitably falls afoul of considerations of the right to life of the victim (and with about a high recidivisim rate the lives of future victims). The arguments about crime deterrance are supported by flawed research, and likewise fail to take recidivism into account. The religious arguments end with old testament clashing with new. At the end of the day this issue isn't about morality, it's about making the best use of available resources, and at present the death penalty is too expensive.

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t's about making the best use of available resources, and at present the death penalty is too expensive.

That depends on country. In China, Africa, South Asia and Middle East, it's very cost-effective (and in some places, due to organ harvesting, cost-negative). In North America, Europe and some other places, it's cost prohibitive.

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Just 15% of people who have received the death sentence since 1976 have been executed, “and a large fraction of death sentences are reversed,” added the report

That line right there says why it is not a deterrent, a potential murder knows that even if convicted there is a small chance they will actually be put to death.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

That line right there says why it is not a deterrent, a potential murder knows that even if convicted there is a small chance they will actually be put to death.

I don't think the mind of a murder is much occupied with the risks of different punishments. I think he is either convincedhe will get away with it or does not care about the consequences at the time he is committing the crime.

And as the discussion went down the road of cost and capitalism.... In China, I am told the surviving family of the executed criminal is charged with the cost of the ammunition used to take his life.

You can always count on China for a capitalist approach.

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And by the way, I guess the reason this news is coming out now is because the people of California is set to vote whether to abolish the death penalty or not this fall. This was complete news to me, heard nothing of it until today.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17821550

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The death penalty serves no purpose other than to let people off. Spending a life time with four walls, grey and concrete, as your only companions... That's a death. A living one AND if, as happens, you were unlucky enough to suffer an injustice and are found to be innocent, well, you can get some life back.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

It doesn't. When people commit a crime they are not thinking if they'll eventually get a death sentence or not. They just do it.

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When people commit a crime they are not thinking if they'll eventually get a death sentence or not.

Not all murders are crimes of passion or unpremeditated. Some are quite premeditated and those people would do the calculus (i.e hired guns).

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It's debatable but the murder rate is most closely associated with the socieconomic heath of a nation. Murder rates have generally been the highest in areas where people are poor and impoverished. A very high percentage have mental health problems therefore the enviromental and social factors that contribute to violence should be addressed. Hence better access to health care and improving the socieconomic heath of a nation, city or town would probably be more beneficial in reducing murder rates and more effective than executions.

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