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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jlallen who wrote (762741)	6/11/2007 10:23:49 AM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Respond to of 769670

WHAT 'debate'? Studies of this question have always shown that punishment --- not just the death penalty --- has a strong deterrent effect on crime if certain conditions are met. (And a lesser to no deterrent effect if conditions are not met.) These are the conditions most academics have always agreed on: 1) perception among the public that there is a high percentage chance of getting caught and prosecuted if they commit a crime. (E.G., if they think that there may only be a 5% or 10% or so chance of getting caught, and then prosecuted, then there is little deterrent effect....) 2) perception that the serving-up of justice will be relatively swift. (For example, if one thinks that --- after getting caught --- the process of trial and justice may be delayed for year after year, as it often is for death penalty cases, possibly forever, then deterrent effects are greatly lessened.) 3) perception that the administration of justice is applied fairly, (i.e., there is not a perception that 'some people can get off scott-free, while others suffer'... for example a belief that the rich or famous or privileged can 'buy' their way out of trouble). All pretty much common sense stuff --- but also things that have been repeatedly verified by academic study after study. So, the extent to which a death penalty can deter any crime greatly depends (same as any legal penalty) upon how well the legal system and society fulfills those three conditions.