Capital Punishment - Does Capital Punishment Deter Crime?

Does capital punishment deter crime?

Capital punishment has been practiced since ancient times. For most time, it has not been considered as a controversial topic. Throughout history people have been put to death as a way of pay back for their crimes. However, since the 18th century a lot of people began to criticize this practice saying that it was unjust, cruel and unnecessary. In the modern world capital punishment is the most controversial penal punishment that can be practiced against a criminal.

Capital punishment is the punishment by death for committing a crime. To receive the death penalty you must murder, rape, treason, kidnap, or armed robbery. By doing any of these crimes you are eligible for the death penalty. There have been many arguments about the morality of this punishment and there are people who agree and some other who disagree with this penalty.

This penalty was meant to be a deterrent to crime but there are many questions about the efficacy of this kind of punishment. Supporters of capital punishment countered that the ultimate penalty of death was necessary for the punishment of terrible crimes because it provided de most complete retribution and condemnation. Furthermore, they argue that the threat of execution was a unique deterrent. Capital punishment supporters contended that this penalty self evidently prevents more crime because death is so much more feared than mere restrictions on one's liberty.

There are a lot of opponents of capital punishment who argue that inflicting death is not necessary to control the crime in the world and they also argue that this kind of penalty doesn't deter crime. Leslie Cantu says that in contradiction to the popular belief, the death penalty does not act as a deterrent to crime. "Expert after expert and study after study have emphasized and emphasized the lack of correlation between the threat of the death penalty and the occurrence of violent crime" (Meador 69). Isaac Erich's study on the deterrent effect of capital punishment in America reveals this. From 1957 to 1982 a study was conducted showing that there were 8060 murders and 65 executions. However, in the last year of study, there were 22520 murders committed and only 1 execution performed. The absence of deterrence is clearly shown.

Those who say that the death penalty does not deter