The death penalty should be abolished

SourceURL:file://localhost/Applications/Microsoft%20Office%202004/Templates/My%20sterotypical%20leanings.doc Hey, if I have room I will rebut my opponent’s case. If not, I will rebut it next round. 1. The DP saves lives Whether it’s through recidivism or deterrence, the DP surely deters crime. Depending on how you define “study”, my results below will differ. However, the numbers always show most studies agree that the DP saves lives. Since 1996, 17 studies have been published which claim to have found a deterrent effect. Some of the studies even conclude it can reduce child murder 20%! However, there is some scientific dissent to the claim. 5 studies either find that the death penalty finds no difference in crime or that it has a slight increase in crime. Two studies are inconclusive in the issue, however one of them says the evidence for deterrence exists, but is weak. In other words, 18 studies find “some” deterrent, 17 find a strong deterrent (and consider the evidence strong), and 5 dissent [1]. This basic tally shows most data, using modern studies, actually support the deterrence theory. Further, when using only national data, one of the studies which find “no deterrence” is only looking at a local area. So depending what we look for, the number fluctuates. Just to sum it up: most studies prove my point. I will list a few highlights from a few of these studies, and will become more in depth with the ones I did not highlight: 1. From all of the studies which are commonly cited, between 3-18 murders are deterred 2. A 2006 study concluded 150 lives where lost (in other words, murder increased) following an Illinois moratorium 3. A study from the university of Colorado argues 5 lives are saved per execution Sources: [2][3] I will start with analyzing a 1999 study from Isaac Ehrlich and Liu which was the oldest study after 1996 I could find in the internet (via jstor). Ehrlich uses a corrected version of his statistical analysis which many viewed unfit in his original study in the seventies; he argued it corrects the problems cited by anti capital punishment academics. The study shows that deterrence theory is not “doubtful” and has significant evidence behind the assertion. His study, however, he conceded does not “prove” deterrence, more work is needed, however he also argues he offers significant evidence for that conclusion. He concludes that, on balance, stricter punishments (like the DP) on balance decrease crime [4]. Economists Nancy Mocan and Kaj Gittings get similar results to the 1999 paper above. Their paper noted per each execution 5 lives on average where saved, and usually passing a moratorium into law via court or legislatures increases the overall crime rate. They made another analysis to counter the criticisms they received—primarily through academics via the media—and their second analysis also got similar results [5]. The final study I will look at in depth is the 2004 study by Shepard (he has done a lot of work in the field). His study is the most commonly heard statistic in the issue. He has three main findings. 1) On average, each execution saves 3 lives, 2) the study shows it benefits African Americans the most, saving 1.5 African America lives, one person of white decent, and .5 of other people. (If you understand statistics the decimals showing up make sense), and 3) shortening time on death row decreases murder. Reducing time on death row by 2.75 years saves one additional life [6]. The second point is recidivism. It is often one on LWOP is paroled, let out on a technicality, given clemency, etc. When looking specifically at young paroles, 6% of them are arrested again for murder within six years of release. Further, a one-year estimate shows if every murder were executed (that year), 821 lives would have been saved. A modified analysis shows 1,000 lives could have been saved that year. It is essentially inarguable that the DP has prevented, and if used more often would prevent more, murders from recidivism [7]. Using data from the BJS, since 1971 the amount of murders from recidivism is near 28,000 [8]. The bottom line is the DP saves lives, it’s hard to argue with. 2. Justice is needed Some crimes really do require the death penalty. For example, seven men barged into a Floridian family home. The home had many adopted children in side—all with special needs, three biological—and one of them was threatened. One of the boys with autism who has trouble speaking witnessed the killing. The also told him that “he is going to die”. The parents, the victims, where both shot multiple times [9]. Even if you usually oppose the death penalty, there has to be a case where you draw the line. Now, many counter this saying LWOP is worse. It depends on the perspective. Based on the fact most criminals (99.9%) fight for LWOP if they have a choice, this shows the criminals prefer life, not death [7]. It makes sense, if you try to think like a criminal. On a life sentence, you have the ability to still commit crimes and possibly be pardoned by a governor. As criminals are interested in self-preservation, it is apparent that an option for life is not going to provide a harsh enough penalty for the criminal. A death penalty sentence is a harsher punishment that gives a sense of justice to the community. Conclusion: “The death penalty is a warning, just like a lighthouse throwing beams out to sea. We hear about shipwrecks, but we do not hear about the ships the lighthouse guides safely on their way. We do not have proof of the number of ships it saves, but we do not tear the lighthouse down.”[7] The retribution/Justice effect (Greg v. Georgia): “[C]apital punishment is an expression of society's moral outrage at particularly offensive conduct.” The DP saves lives and is the proper retribution needed for society. To conclude: “Americans support capital punishment for two good reasons. … [C]apital punishment produces a strong deterrent effect that saves lives.”[2] And that is all, I don’t have enough room to rebut now. [1] http://www.cjlf.org... [2] http://www.heritage.org... [3] http://www.washingtonpost.com... [4] Isaac Ehrlich and Zhiqiang Liu. “Sensitivity Analyses of the Deterrence Hypothesis: Let's Keep the Econ in Econometrics”, Journal of Law and Economics, Vol. 42, No. S1, (April 1999), 455-488. [5] Naci Mocan and Kaj Gittings, “Getting Off Death Row: Commuted Sentences and the Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment,” Journal of Law and Economics, Vol. 46, No. 2 (2003), 453-478. [6] Joanna M. Shepherd, “Murders of Passion, Execution Delays, and the Deterrence of Capital Punishment,” Journal of Legal Studies, Vol. 33 (June 2004), 283-321. [7] http://www.prodeathpenalty.com... [8] http://homicidesurvivors.com... [9] http://articles.cnn.com...