Quote:
Originally Posted by Shasown
A good working example of the use of capital punishment as a deterrent to murder would be to look at the United States of America, Several states have the death penalty while other states dont. The murder rate in states that do not have the death penalty is consistently lower than in states with the death penalty. The South, which carries out over 80% of the executions in the U. S., has the highest murder rate of the four regions. The obvious conclusion is then, it is no deterrent.
There is also an effect that doesnt gain much publicity, if someone was on the jury where the death penalty could be applied, most people would be more reluctant to convict knowing that once the person was dead, they couldnt later be made undead if further evidence came to light that proved their innocence, or simply called to question their conviction. Consequently you have the potential for real criminals to actually be found not guilty, in cases where the balance of evidence would have found them convicted if the punishment was a term of imprisonment.
There are also arguements against it on moral grounds, its retribution albeit state authorised.
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You make very good points and really, in the UK the death penatly would never work. It does not stop people from murdering, raping, commting all sorts of crimes. You get 'mob britain' thinking that that is the answer, when really it is not. Look at how many people got outraged at the Peter 'Baby P' case, they don't think how he would have turned out at all. Imagine if he'd have lived and been the same as Barker anyway??? We known that the mass of the British public is stupid, they will sap anything in. Even if rehab is not the way, we can look for the early warning signs in paedophiles and that, some might say it's all bull**** but they are thinking of the ONE child. Right, they all mourn over Maddie right, but Shannon Matthews, yeah it was a fake, but she was fed anti-depressants and all sorts. Nobody thinks of the psychological damage done to her, they just see it as a solved case. The media is fickle and it higlights unsolvable cases when they really should be concentrating on the kids that might have a chance.