The following is excerpted from SIMPLE SOLUTIONS for Humanity:
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The Death Penalty Does Not Work
With the exception of assassins, most people who kill are not in a rational frame of mind. These murders generally occur on impulse.
The reality is that:
o While executions in the U.S. from 1976-1996 increased from 0 to 60, the homicide rate per 100,000 remained constant at just under 10.
o About 80% of criminologists believe that executions do not have a deterrent effect.
o Two-thirds of U.S. police chiefs do not believe that the death penalty reduces murders.
o A 1998 United Nations study concluded that executions do not deter.
What does work is a combination of reduction in drug use, a better economy with more jobs, simplification of court rules and longer prison sentences. In fact, in 1996, those states with the death penalty had an average murder rate of 7.1 per 100,000, and those which did not had a rate of 3.6. In Canada, the homicide rate dropped 27% after the death penalty was abolished.
In September 2000, a New York Times survey showed that during the last 20 years, the homicide rate in states with the death penalty was 48 to 110 percent higher than in states without the death penalty. This was reported in a press release by Amnesty International USA, where “action for human rights” and hope for humanity” are their themes. It went on further to state that the threat of execution at some future date is unlikely to enter the minds of those acting under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, or in a grip of fear or rage, or is mentally retarded.
With the exception of assassins, most people who kill are not in a rational frame of mind. These murders generally occur on impulse.
The reality is that:
o While executions in the U.S. from 1976-1996 increased from 0 to 60, the homicide rate per 100,000 remained constant at just under 10.
o About 80% of criminologists believe that executions do not have a deterrent effect.
o Two-thirds of U.S. police chiefs do not believe that the death penalty reduces murders.
o A 1998 United Nations study concluded that executions do not deter.
What does work is a combination of reduction in drug use, a better economy with more jobs, simplification of court rules and longer prison sentences. In fact, in 1996, those states with the death penalty had an average murder rate of 7.1 per 100,000, and those which did not had a rate of 3.6. In Canada, the homicide rate dropped 27% after the death penalty was abolished.
In September 2000, a New York Times survey showed that during the last 20 years, the homicide rate in states with the death penalty was 48 to 110 percent higher than in states without the death penalty. This was reported in a press release by Amnesty International USA, where “action for human rights” and hope for humanity” are their themes. It went on further to state that the threat of execution at some future date is unlikely to enter the minds of those acting under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, or in a grip of fear or rage, or is mentally retarded.
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Are you convinced, then, that there should be no death penalty? Well, that is one of the ambiguities of the judicial system. Tomorrow, a case is made for the death penalty.
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The Dow Jones Industrials jumped up 200, then had a low of minus 187, finally settling -73 to 8870, which is 33% lower than on January 1 of this year. The DJI has ranged from 7883 to 13780 this year. World markets all went up today, more so in Asia than Europe. Crude oil rose $1.28/barrel to $62.32 and gold went up $9/toz to $746.
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Hurricane Paloma attained Category 4 speeds, then hit Cuba as a Category 3, surprisingly killing no one (apparently, as of this writing), but causing vast property damage. Now a tropical depression, Paloma is expected to weaken further and go in any direction she wants.
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