The effects of capital punishment, whether crime has gone down during recent years, and other similar stats... Basically, I want to see if harsher punishment is more effective or less effective... Any websites you guys know about? I've found a couple, but am not impressed. Would LOVE the help. I appreciate any help. Thanks in advance.
Wow, that article is completely different from the research I got 7 years ago for my debate class. It said that it actually costs more to keep a prisoner alive than to kill him. http://www.cybervillage.com/ocs/penalty.htm http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-murderersalive.htm First says it's cheaper to keep alive, second says it's cheaper to kill...I guess it's all based on how you want to calculate the costs?
Umm, actually... Ecclesiastes 8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. So I think that would mean, the longer the delay between the conviction and the punishment, no matter what the punishment, crime goes up. But don't quote me on that.
I know there are a few cases in my area where the DA is not going for the death penalty because it's so much more expensive to even try a death penalty case.
The difference between living for 13 years in the general population of a prison and living for 13 years on death row before being put to death is this: the amount of security, plus the cost of the lethal injection or whatever the means may be. In the GP of a prison, the prisoner:guard ratio is like 4:1 (not exactly, but you get my picture) On Death Row, the ratio is like 1:4 - because of the risk of escaping or attempted suicide, etc. The cost of living in either situation is the same, the cost of security is way higher on death row.
Adding to the costs in a death penalty case is the attorney's fees and court costs associated with the large number of appeals and writs that a person facing a death penalty has a right to file before his sentence is carried out. All the statistics I've seen have shown that: (1) it's more expensive to kill someone than to have them serve a life sentence, and (2) certainty of punishment has sone effect on crime rates, but severity of punishment does not.
