That's the title of an OpEd in the Cincinnati Enquirer by Ohio attorney William Gallagher. LINK
A recent Your Voice columnist argued that capital punishment is a deterrent ("Tougher law enforcement has strong plus side," June 16). However, polls and statistics fail to support such contentions. Additionally, behavioral scientists would disagree that killing convicted murderers leads to less violence.
It is extremely difficult if not impossible to determine why a crime never happened.
What we do know is most killings are not planned. They occur without much thought by people who intend to get away with it. The likelihood of a punishment is rarely considered.
A poll of law enforcement professionals found that over 65 percent of police officers saw no deterrent value in capital punishment. An overwhelming majority favor it as a penalty but not for any assistance in preventing violence. It is viewed as punishment.
States with no death penalty do not have a higher murder rate than states with one. Recent enactments of capital punishment statutes by a number of states have not resulted in a reduction in the murder rates. It has however added additional costs to prosecutor and defender offices. It has led to increases in courts' budgets. It has led to trial delays.
A University of Texas study found an increase in the homicide rate in the days before and after an execution in the state of Texas. The clear message is that violence leads to more violence.
The reasons for abolishing the death penalty are as strong and true as they have ever been.Those who face death as a punishment are poor, accused of killing a white person, afforded fewer resources to defend the case and ultimately cost taxpayers significantly more money than those who do not face the death penalty. The risk that we will execute an innocent person is still as real as it was 50 years ago.
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