Introduction
The capital punishment (death penalty) has become one the most important questions of the law field in the 21st century. Though it was an absolutely normal and common practice throughout the whole course of history, even in the 20th century, nowadays it seems immoral and cruel for our modern civilized society. And this question has far gone far beyond simple definitions of morality or humanity. At present time it is being reconsidered, taking its effectiveness and the cost into account. For the first time in years, the question of the deterrence between the capital punishment and homicide rates has been reviewed by the scholars in economics and law.
Deterrence
According to the recent studies, executions do save peoples’ lives. It is said, that for an every execution 3.18 homicides are being prevented. These studies claim, that murder rates fall with executions go high, thus actually deterring the crime ratios.
But unfortunately, this theory works only on paper, as the reality of this situation is completely different, I would say absolutely opposite. According to the official US deterrence statistics, states without the capital punishment actually have murder rates below the national average, comparing to the above the national average in those that have death penalty as a punishment measure. This result might seem confusing, but there is a logical explanation to it.
The issue is that the death penalty is being applied so rarely nowadays, that the number of murders it could plausibly have caused or deterred simply can’t be reliably concluded from the large year-to-year changes in the homicide rate caused by other factors, and this makes the whole point fragile to sustain any possible criticism.
Moreover, when sentencing, and, in fact, applying a death penalty to an accused one, there is always a strong possibility of the authorities being wrong with the decision, despite the justice system’s clarity and fairness. Thus, the risk of taking an innocent life can never be eliminated.
Economical side of the question
Furthermore, the astronomical costs associated with putting an accused on a death row – including all criminal investigations, trials and appeals – are making many states to re-evaluate and re-consider having this flawed process running. A single death penalty case might cost the state up to $ 2.4 million. Moreover, due to the conservative rough projections, done by tthe Commission of the Fair Administration of Justice the annual cost of the present system can reach astonishing $137 million per year, and even more after the present system will get reformed the cost can go as high as $232.7 million per year, comparing to a system which imposes a maximum penalty of lifetime incarceration instead of the death penalty and the expenditures in such system is $11.5 million, money saved, and better used for more careful policing or maintaining the state prisons, providing for those convicts for the rest of their lives, without even mentioning other spheres of spending. Such high numbers cause the rate of death executions in the US to prove not efficient and ineffective, thus to go down every single year.
Conclusion
Works cited
Levitt, Steven D., and Thomas J. Miles. "Economic Contributions to the Understanding of Crime." Editorial. n.d.: n. pag. - Annual Review of Law and Social Science, 2(1):147. N.p., 22 Aug. 2006.
Weisberg, Robert. "The Death Penalty Meets Social Science: Deterrence and Jury Behavior Under New Scrutiny." Editorial. n.d.: n. pag. - Annual Review of Law and Social Science, 1(1):151. 30 June 2005.
Steiker, Carol S. "No, Capital Punishment Is Not Morally Required: Deterrence, Deontology, and the Death Penalty." Editorial. n.d.: n. pag. - Volume 58, Issue 3. N.p., Dec. 2005.
