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In terms of capital punishment, how would you definite the word "effective" in ways that can be measured and described OBJECTIVELY?


My term paper depends on this......and this is the one, single element that I seem to be stuck on. Any insight would be greatly appreciated since I have until next week.


Gracias!

I did a paper that touched brifely on capital punishment and the only conclusion that I could come to is that is has no measurable gain and that its extreamly inefficient. Its impossible to prove that a single crime has ever been prevented with capital punishment.
I don't think thats helping though.

in countries without capital punishment, violent crime is lower.

call me andrew wrote:in countries without capital punishment, violent crime is lower.

Congratulations.

Now prove a causal relationship between the two.

i'd personally rather be executed then spend my life in jail. Could someone reveal to me how capital punishment prevents any crime? all i see it doing is costing us more money, letting the criminals get out easy, and also bringing up several religious conflicts

look what I started......I was just looking for an OBJECTIVE meaning to the word "effective" as far as punishment is concerned




this is great....hehe

the only way capital punishment can be effective is when it's a public specticle. for these very reasons:

1. it embarasses the family that this person is from. it will only take one public execution for other violent criminals to not wish humiliation on their families or survivors.

2. it's inhumane. taking a needle and going to sleep sounds pleasant. standing on a chair and getting it kicked out from under you while you dangle from a rope is not pleasant and.

I agree. I think that's the only way to deter people from commiting executionable crimes. I don't think it could ever happen here though, as it seems as though North Americans are against such rituals occuring in third world countries.

you'll see the end of capital punishment before you see public executions in the US.

well the thing is, capital punishment is not really a deteriant for any crimes. I mean obviously the United Stated still enfources the rule (even though a lot of states don't) but they have the highest prision rate as well with 2 million prisioners.
That doesnt seem very effective to me...

well the thing is, capital punishment is not really a deteriant for any crimes. I mean obviously the United Stated still enfources the rule (even though a lot of states don't) but they have the highest prision rate as well with 2 million prisioners.
That doesnt seem very effective to me...

Its not effective because after someone is sentanced to death it takes 5-10 years before they are ever executed. Its seriously flawed. If someone is sentanced to death they should not be able to drag it out forever. If they wanna appeal they should have to do so within 6 months and only once. That way they aren't sitting in jail eating away at my tax dollars while playing the system to keep themselves alive.

even if they are in prison for years on end before they are actually put to the death penalty, people are still dying from it. And that isnt preventing people from commiting crimes. I don't see what your tax dollars have to do with effectiveness.

from an objective standpoint, CP would be effective if it can be shown to actually prevent violent crime.

of course, this is impossible, because as narbus so eloquently pointed out, while it is easy to show a correlation between two things, proving causation is nearly impossible in this context.

care to argue against my points Venom instead of critisizing the system you believe in furthering?

Venom wrote:Its not effective because after someone is sentanced to death it takes 5-10 years before they are ever executed. Its seriously flawed. If someone is sentanced to death they should not be able to drag it out forever. If they wanna appeal they should have to do so within 6 months and only once. That way they aren't sitting in jail eating away at my tax dollars while playing the system to keep themselves alive.

I have to say that I freakin COMPLETELY agree with you here, Venom. Friends and I have conversations relating to what you said above quite often.
Not only does the death penalty kill me, but so does the welfare system in this country (especially NY state). But I know that would involve a completely different thread, so I won't even begin to discuss.