Is the death penalty effective
Is the Death Penalty Effective?
The death penalty, or capital punishment, is the legal process by which a convicted offender is put to death by the state (Matt & Law, 2006). Frank (2003) gives the various methods of execution that have been practiced worldwide such as, lethal injection, electric chair, hanging, among others. Since the formation of the State, the death penalty has been the most severe means of social society and an effective deterrent of grave crimes. However, since famous criminologist, Beccaria (1996) pointed out that the death penalty is neither effective nor useful in preventing crime, there has been increasing opposition against it from many people. Today, more than half of the countries in the world have abolished the death penalty from their laws (Hood and Hoyle, 2008). The death penalty remains a controversial issue that brings up concepts of deterrence, retribution and just deserts as arguments for its effectiveness. However, recent research reveals that there is no strong supporting evidence to prove that capital punishment deters grave crimes (Donohue and Wolfers, 2005). For this reason, this paper seeks to establish that the death penalty is not effective.
Proponents for the death penalty argue that it deters the errant behavior of others. This is based on the general deterrence theory which argues that the aim of punishment is to prevent society in general from committing crime. This theory supposes that imposing punishment for crimes will create fear among member of a society such that if they break the law, they will be punished. Consequently, this fear will restrain them from breaking the law (Streib, 2008, pg 6). Streib (2008) argues that potential murderers will be deterred from committing crime due to fear of being executed for those crimes. However, the effectiveness of this theory is based on several assumptions, for instance, the belief that a person will be traced by the police for their crime and prosecuted.
The death penalty, or capital punishment, is the legal process by which a convicted offender is put to death by the state (Matt & Law, 2006). Frank (2003) gives the various methods of execution that have been practiced worldwide such as, lethal injection, electric chair, hanging, among others. Since the formation of the State, the death penalty has been the most severe means of social society and an effective deterrent of grave crimes. However, since famous criminologist, Beccaria (1996) pointed out that the death penalty is neither effective nor useful in preventing crime, there has been increasing opposition against it from many people. Today, more than half of the countries in the world have abolished the death penalty from their laws (Hood and Hoyle, 2008). The death penalty remains a controversial issue that brings up concepts of deterrence, retribution and just deserts as arguments for its effectiveness. However, recent research reveals that there is no strong supporting evidence to prove that capital punishment deters grave crimes (Donohue and Wolfers, 2005). For this reason, this paper seeks to establish that the death penalty is not effective.
Proponents for the death penalty argue that it deters the errant behavior of others. This is based on the general deterrence theory which argues that the aim of punishment is to prevent society in general from committing crime. This theory supposes that imposing punishment for crimes will create fear among member of a society such that if they break the law, they will be punished. Consequently, this fear will restrain them from breaking the law (Streib, 2008, pg 6). Streib (2008) argues that potential murderers will be deterred from committing crime due to fear of being executed for those crimes. However, the effectiveness of this theory is based on several assumptions, for instance, the belief that a person will be traced by the police for their crime and prosecuted.