Is the death penalty a deterrent and what supports your answer?

Sam

no, the death penalty is not a deterrent. 80% of executions take place in the south, but the south still has a higher murder rate than the north. between 1989 and 2002, three states, one with one execution, one with no executions, and one with 239, all had "almost identical patterns of murder rates from year to year." all of this is besides the fact that the death penalty has also been known to condemn the innocent. the dealth penalty is still being questioned as to whether it's even humane.

Calabasa

The death penalty is not a deterrent to crime - it's about justice. We have had the death penalty for some time now and crime is on the rise - families generally want and need closure - which doesn't even happen after an execution. It's a no win situation.

Susan S

No.

Robert D

The only way it is a deterrent is for the person that is killed. They won't commit another crime, ever.

Besides that, it doesn't do a thing. And no one can say it does. Look at the countries that use it. Low Crime anyone? Not even close!

petermurrell

This is something that is debated in the UK every few years or so. The answer is always "no". I'd tend to agree - I've read many cases of someone being hanged (in the UK) and then further investigation proves them not have been guilty in the first place. Anyway, the legal process is so convoluted and drawn out, even if a death penalty were to be re-instated, appeals etc would probably make the actual execution (if it happened) years after the person had been found guilty.

stirfriedrice

The death penalty would be more of a deterrent if it was televised. Public execution in the old days let people know what was in store for them when they committed a crime.

It would be even better if we let criminals battle each other like gladiators. Like a Thunderdome. It could even be on pay-per-view so the profits could go to schools.

Yeah...a Thunderdome would deter crime......

yoda the twentysecond

Dead murderers will never commit another heinous act. Ever.

earlofsnoh

Not always..as many murders are crimes of passion.

hungrykong

Yes!
They should be swift and final.....
Research on the laws of Singapore regarding the death penalty and you'll be surprised...

Phill Lee

Only a deterrent to the one being put to death. Look at the statistics. Death penality does not stop a crazy person from killing someone. It only stops them from doing it again!

haterade

No. It needs to be displayed in public.

A Person

Yes, it deters convicted murders from murdering again.

LadyRebecca

No. My supporting argument is all the people across the world who are currently sitting on death row for committing crimes that they know incur the death penalty

fairlady37

Well, for one thing, the person will never break the law again.

qldtravelguru

sure is it deters the person who is dead from reoffending

Permenantly!

Baby Poots

If carried out switfly, I believe the death penalty would definitely serve as a deterrent against crime. Unfortunately, our judicial system has provided those who have been given the death penalty many avenues to appeal a "sentence of death". Many receiving a death sentence are able to appeal that sentence for 10 to 20 years, during which time taxpayers' money is being used to provide housing, food, free education, including Bachelor's, Master's, and often Doctorate degrees, free medical and dental care, and often, free legal assistance.

The death penalty, as it is enforced today, is not a deterrent to crime.

old fuzz

No punishment of a criminal act has ever served as a deterrent. The criminal always thinks he just to clever to be caught. Prison sentences and death penalties are punishments, no more, no less.

If you want deterrents, then you have to bring back public hangings, public floggings, stocks, and branding.

wartz

It is not significant enough to be a deterrent and the people who are death penalty candidates don't think anyway.

The death penalty isn't even a blip on the criminal radar screen and hasn't been significant for over a century. During the last 100 years, the most people executed in one year was 198 in 1935. For a nation of 300 million people that is statistically zero.

Well, the same guy won't be committing the same crime. I guess that's about as good of a deterrent as you're gonna get. All right it's already getting pretty redundant. Sorry!

badbender001

I am going against the grain here and I say, as it is currently administered, the answer is no. Look, back in the day if you got the death penalty you were hung with in the week. These days, with all the appeals and what not if you are actually approved for death it happens nearly 10 YEARS after the crime, AWAY from the public and in private for the most part. If people saw the penalty carried out they would be more reluctant to persue such ana genda.

Tigger

With the tests we have today, yes, if carried out before 35 years, it would be a deterrent.

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