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Crime and the Death Penalty For most crime committed in the United States a fine, sentence of time in jail or execution is the punishment. However, the death penalty is the most questionable punishment. Is it morally right? Is it effective in deterring crime, primarily murders? Whether or not you agree if it is moral or not, one issue remains. The death penalty is not an effective way to deter crime.
The death penalty has existed as long as humans have existed. The quote, an eye for an eye is found in the Bible. In the middle ages fines, public humiliation and imprisonment were appropriate punishments for all crimes, and the death penalty for all murders. Today, the Federal law states that the death penalty is to be enforced with convicted criminals for: treason, deserting armed forces during wartime; murder committed by a soldier; kidnapping and murder that involves crossing state lines; murder committed during an airplane hijacking; and of course, homicide. The death penalty is also called for punishment for: attempting to kill anyone investigating or prosecuting his or her activities; advising, directing, authorizing, or assisting in the murder of someone. Also, the Anti-Drug abuse act of 1988 calls for the death penalty or life imprisonment for certain drug related killings.
Along with that, the bill amending section 848 of the controlled substance act calls for the death penalty or life imprisonment for certain drug offences. Such as for the possession of 10 or more kg of heroin, cocaine, phencyclidine, Fassold 2 or analogue. Adding to that, another drug act states to use of the death penalty for convicted major drug dealers caught with huge quantities of drugs, over 66 lbs of heroin and 330 lbs of cocaine. Even though there are these federal laws requiring the use of the death penalty for the crimes, state laws only consider one crime, murder, to be a capital offense. In the United States alone there have been 4047 executions since 1930, and 188 were from 1977 - 1996. In 1996, there were a total of 15, 168, 100 arrests; 33, 020 for murder and non-negligent manslaughter.
The death penalty was enforced 45 times. The death penalty is an expensive punishment. Since 1976, the United States have spent 700 million dollars for it. Methods of the death penalty include lethal injection, gas chambers, the electric chair, hanging and the fire squad.
In a 1986 poll, 70 % of Americans favored the death penalty as a punishment for murder. There have been many comparisons of states that have the death penalty to those states that do not. These statistics clearly show that the death penalty has no effect on the deterioration of crime. The homicide rates in Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois rise and fall along with Wisconsin. Michigan, Ohio and Illinois all have the death penalty. Wisconsin does not.
In 1994, the average murder rate in a death penalty state of a population of 100, 000 was 8. 0 and for a non-death penalty state was 4. 4. In Canada the homicide rate per 100, 000 people was 3. 0 in 1975, when they had the death penalty. In 1976 Canada got ride of the death penalty. In 1986 the crime rate decreased to 2. 19 per 100, 000 people. This was the lowest in fifteen years. Isnt it odd that the crime rates were high with the death penalty and low without?
Clearly this shows that the presence Fassold 3 of the death penalty has no effect on the increase or decrease in crime rates. Even with the death penalty, crime rates continue to rise and fall in the United States. The number of people on death row in 1967 were 200 and in 1997 rose to 3, 100. Crimes will be committed whether or not the death penalty is a method of punishment. Many people believe that the death penalty isnt an effective way to deter crime. The proposed drug death penalty is not only barbaric but also foolish: a temper tantrum masquerading as an act of government.
It holds no promise for suppressing the drug trade, and may even be counterproductive. (Zimmy 35) Time magazine, 1997 said that 52 % of Americans do not believe the death penalty deters people from committing crime. In a recent poll of police chiefs, 2 / 3 said they do not believe that the death penalty deters crime it is used as a political football by politicians. Some people arent afraid of dying, either. They have realized that everyone must die, so they have no fear of dying at any moment of time. This fact also forbids the death penalty from being 100 % effective. In Britain, 167 people were on death row. 164 of them said they witnessed at least one execution before they committed their crime.
They committed the crime even though they had seen an execution before and execution didnt scare them. Since the death penalty has no effect on the deterioration of crime, what does? New York lowered crime rates by putting more police officers in the street, not by longer jail terms or the death penalty. This was effective because if one thinks about it, if one was to rob a store, first he would look around to see if any police officers were around, and if he sees one riding around the block and another patrolling the streets, he would think twice about it. Of course, hiring more police officers will cost a lot of money, but Fassold 4 that will only be temporary. Criminal held in prison for long sentences means money now and more money later.
Also, the availability of handguns plays a major role in murder rates. It is a lot easier to kill someone by putting one bullet in their head then beating them, stabbing or strangling (there are chances they can be alive) if we decrease the availability of handguns by increasing the price or banning the sale. There will be less murders. Another thought is that slavery should be used as a punishment for crimes. If all the miserable moments of a slaves life were put together it would be more painful then any kind of punishment. In 1995 Hart Research Associated Poll asked law enforcement officers what they thought would help the deterioration of crime. 31 % said reduce drug abuse, 17 % said better economy and jobs, 16 % said simplify court rules, 15 % said longer prison sentence, 10 % said more police officers, 3 % said reducing guns, and 1 % said expand the death penalty.
There is some evidence, however that the death penalty is effective in the deterioration of crime. If all those caught producing addictive drugs, plus all of those caught selling addictive drugs in our country were confronted with capital punishment administered without recourse, by local authorities throughout our fifty states- then gradually this intolerable situation would be ameliorated and eventually conquered. (Long 53) In 1988, Arthur Bishop was executed. During that year there were 47 murders. Before that date there were 21, a 19 % difference.
In 1960, there were 56 executions and 9, 410 murders. In 1964 there were 15 executions and 9, 250 murders. In 1969 - 1975 there were no executions and 9, 250 murders. This clearly shows that the Fassold 5 number of murder rose while the number of executions decreased. Also, Isaac Ehrlich concluded from his research that every execution prevented 6 murders. The death penalty is not an effective way to deter crime.
The only way to deter crime is to prevent it from happening, rather then enforcing harsh punishment to scare off potential crimes. Studies show that there is no relation between crime rates with death penalty states and crime rates without. Even though the death penalty seems like a favorable punishment for people who have committed crimes, it has no effect on the deterioration of crimes. Statistics show that there is no relationship between the number of crimes committed in the death penalty states and the number of crimes committed in the non-death penalty states. While a majority of people believes that the death penalty is a good punishment for crimes, they do not believe it helps get rid of and prevents crimes. Other methods such as increased police officers and a decrease on the availability of handguns are two of many alternatives in the prevention of crimes.
Enforcing a harsh punishment for committing a crime is not an effective way to prevent it from happening. Preventing crimes from happening is the most effective way to deter crime. Bibliography Work Cited: Crimes, Politics and Race Harvard Journal of law and Public Policy Winter 1997: pg 405 Death Penalty Information Center, 1997 web Narrow, Don Death Penalty San Diego: Lucent Books Inc, 1992 Wekesser, Carol The Death Penalty: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Green haven Press, 1991 World Almanac and Book of Facts 1998 Mahwah, NJ: World Almanac and Book of Facts, 1997 web
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Research essay sample on Death Penalty Deters Death Penalty States
