@Vipros
I don't think that the death penalty is a deterrant, for the same reason that prison usually isn't: to wit, that's simply not how you're thinking in the heat of the moment. Think of all the times you've broken the speed limit, shoplifted or whatever. You aren't calculating the odds of getting caught, the benefits to you of the action, and the malefits of the punishment. You're acting in the moment.

Now - on occasion you might think about these things. But in that case, the death penalty might give you an incentive to commit more crimes. After all, if you are aiming not to get caught - and you would be if you're reasonably sure that capture'd mean death - and if the way not to get caught is to kill the witness as well as the person you've just attacked, then it'd be rational to kill the witness. After all, your penalty would be no worse either way should you get caught - you'd be no deader - but the odds of that happening would've fallen.

Does that make sense? I'm not sure. Apologies if it's garbled.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Wed 29 Oct 2008, 11:03, Reply)