Does the Death Penalty Reduce Crime - Essay Example

Criminologists have shown that people who commit capital crimes such as murder do it in the ‘heat of the moment.’ Such crimes are not premeditated and are usually committed as a result of stress or the influence of alcohol or other drugs. In committing crimes, the criminals are not in a stable mental state. Therefore, previous executions do not help in stopping an individual from committing a crime.

Thirdly, research has shown that life imprisonment is a better alternative for deterring crime compared to the death sentence. Persons serving a life sentence operate in a certain routine and are not a threat to society. Therefore, the death sentence does not have an additional effect in deterring crime (Ruppin, 2012). Finally, history and research have shown that violence is a learned behavior, and therefore regardless of the severity of the punishment offered, such crimes will still be committed. The death sentence cannot help in stopping a behavior that is common to a given society or group. In conclusion, there is no evidence to prove that the death penalty helps to reduce crime, and therefore should be abolished. Efforts should be directed toward solving social problems such as drug abuse. Read More