States With No Death Penalty Share Lower Homicide Rates

[snookums1]

Indeed, 10 of the 12 states without capital punishment have homicide rates below the national average, Federal Bureau of Investigation data shows, while half the states with the death penalty have homicide rates above the national average. In a state-by- state analysis, The Times found that during the last 20 years, the homicide rate in states with the death penalty has been 48 percent to 101 percent higher than in states without the death penalty.

http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/22/national/22DEAT.html

[RedSocksFan]

Do you have a link to the actual New York Times study that concluded this?

[Lynden1000]

I've never viewed the death penalty as a deterrent. I think it's pretty obvious that it doesn't work as such. In theory I view it as a means of clearing out the rubbish to make room for more. In practice, it's plagued with a lot of problems.

[LisaM22]

The death penalty is not really a deterrent.
And imo it is inhumane, barbaric and hypocritical.

not sure the pro-death folks are willing to hear the truth at this point in time

[ninetoes]

Think our state has a murder rate above 7. We dont have the DP. We did have the DP until a year or so ago. Last figures I saw we had 140 murders in the state in 2008. Of course, our state has less people than the city of Philly, so 140 murders is a lot.