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Death Penalty Does Not Deter Murder

By standdown

That's the title of an OpEd in the Sunday edition of the Contra Costa Times written by Mike Radelet and Werner J. Einstadter.  Radelet is co-author of a recent deterrence study, Einstadter worked in California corrections and is Einstadter is a professor emeritus of criminology and sociology.  LINKA NEW survey of America's leading criminologists has concluded that the death penalty does not deter homicide any better than long imprisonment. Eighty-seven percent of the experts believe that capital punishment can be abolished without any adverse effect on the murder rate.Why then is California keeping this expensive but unproductive policy when it is facing in excess of a $26 billion deficit? It is astounding that the state is spending $137 million per year to retain the death penalty and getting virtually nothing in return...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on July 14, 2009 (boomark / email).