Capital Punishment in the U.S.A. Term Paper

However, on the contradicting side, the question is "Can death penalty really deter criminals?." Several studies show it does not. An online source indicates the following evidences.

From 1976 to 1996, the number of executions per year in the United States has increased from 0 to just under 60. The homicide rate per 100,000 population has remained constant at just under 10.

Criminologists who belong to the American Society of Criminology, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and the Law and Society Association were polled. Over 80% believe that our current knowledge does not indicate a deterrent effect. 75% felt that increasing the numbers of executions or decreasing time spent on death row would not result in a deterrence.

Despite of different opinions and stands on death penalty, several researches find that there are more reasons why death penalty should be abolished.First of all, death penalty does not value human life. Although death penalty may allow the decrease of criminals, there is still a chance, even a small percentage, that an error in the provision of death sentence to a person may exist.

Bibliography

Wagner, Peter. Crime and Punishment in the U.S. http://www.westernprisonproject.org/PrisonIndex/Section_1/DeathPenalty.html

Johnson, David. Deadly Questions. http://www.infoplease.com/spot/deathpenalty2.html

Capital Punishment: The Death Penalty. http://www.religioustolerance.org/execute.htm

Facts About Capital Punishment. http://www.religioustolerance.org/execut3.htm

Summary of Executions in the U.S. http://www.religioustolerance.org/executd.htm

Basic Reasons: Pro and Anti. http://www.religioustolerance.org/executb.htm

Support and Opposition. http://www.religioustolerance.org/execut4.htm

Developments. http://www.religioustolerance.org/exe_news05.htm

McFeely, William. Trial and Error: Capital Punishment in U.S. History. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5420.....