IC). In some cases, the death penalty may
even cause more murders. A criminal may kill his victims and witnesses rather than risk getting
caught. Studies also suggest that states that retain the death penalty may experience an increase
in murders that involve strangers. Additionally, the research shows a brutalization effect for all
Those who defend the deterrent value of the death penalty would argue that criminals and
their attorneys provide one example that criminals fear the death penalty. Almost all convicted
murderers argue for life, not death, in the punishment phase of their trial. That which we fear the
most, deters the most. Indeed, criminals rate death as the most feared punishment, much more
than life without parole (Sehba & Nathan 1984). Deterrence can either be specific – punishing
an individual so that they will not commit a crime again, or general – punishing an individual to
set an example to society, so that others will not commit the same crime. While it is difficult to
prove a negative (i.e., How many murders does the death penalty cause not to occur?), some
would argue that extensive research on individual deterrence would, undoubtedly, reveal
significant general deterrent effect. Regarding the deterrent effect of the death penalty, poet
Hyam Barshay made the following observation, "The death penalty is a warning, just like a
lighthouse throwing beams out to sea. We hear about shipwrecks, but do not have the proof of
the number of ships it saves, but we do not tear the lighthouse down." (Haag 1969). Proponents
of the death penalty would argue that it is logically conclusive, therefore, that the death penalty
The deterrence argument is weak and statistically unproven. Moreover, the death
penalty's deterrent effect is almost impossible to calculate. Although these studies have been
produced by respected social scientis...