The Death Sentance

[Ava Estelle]

I can say that it does because nobody who has ever been put to death for murder has ever murdered again.

How many people sentenced to life without parole have killed again?

Would you care to argue the fact at all (at all).

I just did.

For you to say that it does not deter would require that you somehow determine precisely how many people do or do not kill based on the existence (or not) of a death penalty.

The exact same criteria applies to your assumption that it's a deterrent.

Would you please tell us how you would go about gathering reliable data relative to that point.

I already did. Certain states in the US have stopped executions, others have started again after a period of no executions. All these states have facts and figures on murders committed when there were no executions, and when there were.

You seem quite capable of quoting figures when they support your argument, let's see some now.

.

[Agrajag]

One can only look at such a thing by comparing like with like, at least on the face of it. I a sure criminologists and the like have more complex methods but I'm not one of them.

In which case one must compare states which have the death penalty to those which do not have the death penalty (or potential for it). More specifically, one must compare similar demographic areas, cross states, to see which if any has lower crime rates. Specifically for crimes which would carry the death penalty.

I don't know the answer to this, however it must surely be for those who wish to kill in the name of the state to show that it is an effective deterrent, rather than for those who oppose it to prove that it is not.

I'm agin it even if it is an effective deterrent, but that's another story.

[Busyman™]

How many people sentenced to life without parole have killed again?

Would you care to argue the fact at all (at all).

I just did.

For you to say that it does not deter would require that you somehow determine precisely how many people do or do not kill based on the existence (or not) of a death penalty.

The exact same criteria applies to your assumption that it's a deterrent.

Would you please tell us how you would go about gathering reliable data relative to that point.

I already did. Certain states in the US have stopped executions, others have started again after a period of no executions. All these states have facts and figures on murders committed when there were no executions, and when there were.

You seem quite capable of quoting figures when they support your argument, let's see some now.

.

Is life without parole a deterrent?

Okay then, now is death a deterrent?

I am more afraid to die than to be put in jail. I think most people are.

[Agrajag]

Then again, perhaps it reflects the type of Govenment people choose for themselves.

Just conjecture, however is it possible that people who are more likely to offer violence are likely to choose a government that feels the same way.

[Agrajag]

This is interesting

As executions rose, states without the death penalty fared much better than states with the death penalty in reducing their murder rates. The gap between the murder rate in death penalty states and the non-death penalty states grew larger (as shown in Chart II). In 1990, the murder rates in these two groups were 4% apart. By 2000, the murder rate in the death penalty states was 35% higher than the rate in states without the death penalty. In 2001, the gap between non-death penalty states and states with the death penalty again grew, reaching 37%. For 2002, the number stands at 36%.

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/php/...cid=12&did=168

[Agrajag]

NB before you complain about it being old stats the same site does figures for 2000 - 2005 which shows the trend continuing. Indeed the difference keeps rising.

[Ava Estelle]

Is life without parole a deterrent?

Okay then, now is death a deterrent?

I am more afraid to die than to be put in jail. I think most people are.

You tell me, on the face of it there is no deterrent in your country, you had more murders last year than Australia had last century, does that say something about Americans, or your penal system?

[Busyman™]

I'm wondering if anyone is assuming a cause/effect relationship.

"See, because you have the death penalty, the murder rate is rising."

"Hell I killed a person in this state cuz I knew I wouldn't get life but I would get death."

[Ava Estelle]

NB before you complain about it being old stats the same site does figures for 2000 - 2005 which shows the trend continuing. Indeed the difference keeps rising.

Oh dear, red faces all round it seems!

[Busyman™]

nvm