The statistics show clearly the positive effects that the death penalty brings to the community by lowering the murders committed.
One of the greatest indicators that the death penalty is a deterrent can be seen in Houston Texas (Harris County, with the highest murder rate in Houston) in 1996. In 1981, 701 murders were committed in Texas. In 1982, when Texas reinstated the death penalty, Harris County executed more murderers than any other city or state in the union and saw the greatest reduction in murder from 701 in 1981 down to 261 in 1996, a 63 percent reduction that represents a 270 percent differential (Sharp, 1997). The states that are implementing the death penalty are witnessing the fruit of a punishment that is actually decreasing the occurrence rate. In addition, we can see that the death penalty is a deterrent not only in the US, but also in Saudi Arabia where a quick and constant use of the death penalty have created a society where violent crime is rare (Lowe, 2000). Another good comparison comes when we compare Los Angeles and Singapore whose populations are similar. In Los Angeles we see that in one year 1,063 murders committed, where in Singapore there were only 58 murders (and most were followed by a swift execution). Even in criminal subcultures, for example the Mafia, death (the death penalty) is a very dominant and influential deterrent, even among career criminals where not many will betray the ones in charge, for they know the consequence would be immediate death (Lowe, 2000). When the death penalty is implemented in a consistent manner, it does act as a deterrent. However, it must be implemented all across the United States and the execution must follow the sentencing of the criminal in a swift, consistent, and on a regular basis.
Another source, besides the Constitution, that promotes and implies that the punishment for murder is death, and that the death penalty is a deterrent, is the Bible.
Rummel at September 28, 2003 09:34 PM Comments If you asked me to identify the biggest single problem we had with our justice system, I'd probably surprise the heck out of you by saying that it's that our prison conditions are inhumane. ... Passing a law requiring this-or-that in the criminal justice system won't make the money magically appear. ...