Throughout the death penalty debate, the main question is whether the death penalty deters capital crimes. The deterrent effect of the death penalty is an important topic of this debate since although it may be questioned, capital punishment does have the following deterrent effects on the society as follows;
- It is no question that with the death penalty, criminals who have committed capital crimes such as murder will pay for the crimes they committed. Although the slogan that requires an eye for an eye and a life for a life is not the best to follow, the punishment of capital crimes by execution ensures that the criminals who committed these crimes get the same dose of punishment they served their victims. Most criminals who commit capital crimes are known to be merciless, and the death penalty is a suitable option for such hard criminals.
- The use of capital punishment will serve as a standard in the society to deter criminals from carrying out capital crimes. Most people are afraid of the loss of their lives, and the use of the death penalty will ensure a standard is maintained that reduces capital crimes from happening. A study done on the effect of the decision made by the Supreme Court of the United States, in 1970, to outlaw executions, showed that the rates of murder in each state rose and when execution was reinstated the murder rates fell. The practice of the death penalty will, therefore, ensure that the tendencies of carrying out capital crimes, in the society, will be kept minimal. (Dezhbakhsh 12-13).
- The practice of capital punishment as a sentence for criminals that have committed capital crimes will also create a fear of committing crimes in the society. Other criminals that commit other crimes besides the capital ones will also be deterred as the fear the death penalty creates will also affect them. This will serve as a means of preventing the overall occurrence of crimes in the society. To get a similar paper contact Dissertation Writing Services Online
Although there are deterrent effects of the death penalty to the society, most psychologists and criminologists argue that these effects have not yet been felt in the society yet the practice of capital punishment still continues. A section of people that are part of the death penalty debate argue that instead of positive effects in the society, capital punishment has non-deterrent effects. The non-deterrent effects of the death penalty are as follows;
- The mental state of most criminals guilty of capital crimes is usually quite imbalanced, and the practice of the death penalty on other criminals guilty of the same crimes often triggers anger and revenge instincts on such criminals. Instead of instilling fear in such criminals, the anger and revenge instincts drive them to commit more capital crimes. In the end, the practice of capital punishment raises a cycle of violence that threatens to increase murder rates instead of reducing them.
- When the death penalty is applied to criminals who are later found to be innocent due to the surfacing of evidence that was earlier unavailable, the society often gets embittered and become unsure of the justice system. The effect that such an occurrence has on the society is an increase in crime rates that were supposed to be deterred by the death penalty. The death penalty, therefore, proves unsuitable since once a criminal has been executed, exoneration cannot happen when the criminal is later proved innocent. (Šimonovi´c 5-8).
- Some of the debaters of the death penalty feel that capital punishment is not really reserved for capital offenders as it is alleged and that it has become a means that the very influential in the society use to silence enemies unfairly. According to this assumption, corruption has infiltrated the justice system providing the influential with a tool to eliminate people who oppose them. This assumption has led to increase in crime that results from the society’s rebellion against the death penalty. Such assumptions can only be eliminated if capital punishment is abolished and lenient methods like life imprisonment are used instead.
- It is often claimed that the distinction between non-capital and capital crime is usually just a difference in geography or time. If such minimal differences exist between these two types of crimes, then the society becomes dissatisfied with the justice system. It may be argued that some criminals worthy of capital punishment have been served lenient sentences while others, not deserving the death penalty, were executed due to ‘minor’ reasons such as geographical location and time of the offense. Dissatisfaction in the society sparks rebellion which increases the crime rates that the practice of capital punishment is supposed to reduce. (Toobin 1-2).
Many people in the society feel that the practice of capital punishment in inhumane. The death penalty has been condemned by many in the society as cruel and non-humanitarian. The continued practice of the death penalty will only lead to rebellion in a section of the society. Rebellions in the society will, in turn, cause the rise of crime rates. To get this paper; contact Order Term Paper Online Services
