Essay Example on Death Penalty as a Deterrent to Crime

Introduction

I have always assumed that the death penalty has to a large extent reduced the number of homicide cases reported to the law enforcement agencies due to criminals' fear of being sentenced to death. Also, it has been my assumption that the fear of being charged to death has made a sizeable number of people in society to opt for another line of work out of crime. Furthermore, I have always assumed that the imposition of capital punishment in criminal justice has acted as a reinforcement for good behavior, particularly for the population of people who have a history of crime. Lastly, in the past, I have assumed that the enactment of the death penalty has also made people in crime to avoid perpetrating severe crimes like homicide due to fear of being sentenced to death.

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Assumptions on Racial Bias in the Death Penalty

In the past, I have assumed that more African Americans or other persons of color have been executed through the White American population due to racial biases. Additionally, in the past, I have also assumed that the race of a person, to a large extent, influences the court magistrates' decisions on whether or not to impose capital punishment on a law offender. Furthermore, in the past, I have also assumed that the social convention in the American judicial system has tolerated the biased imposition of harsh sentences like the death penalty largely to the African American population. Lastly, I have also always assumed that the past history of the death penalty in the American criminal justice system, with more African Americans in the incarceration centers, has influenced the unfair prosecution of the Blacks to the criminal justice system.

Facts on the Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment

Past research has certified that the enactment of the death penalty in the criminal justice system does not have any effect in deterring the perpetration of serious crimes in the society such as homicide. Examples of such past research include a study that was conducted by Brandt and Kovandzic (2015) that attested that from 1994-2005, the perpetration of death sentences in Texas did not have any impact in deterring crime in the State (Brandt and Kovandzic 1). Also, a report that was published by the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), in 2018, according to the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, nations that have abolished the death penalty have recorded a decline in the number of homicide rates (DPIC 1). The two cited sources provide factual information that validates the premise that the creation of the death penalty does not have a major impact in deterring crime in the society.

Facts on Racial Bias in the Death Penalty

Research executed by Peffley and Hurwitz (2007) evidenced that it is not true to state that racial or cultural biases affect how capital punishment convictions are imposed on law offenders in the United States (Peffley and Hurwitz 996). Instead, the research stated that the over the conviction of African Americans in the United States compared to the White population is due to the public perception of factors that associate black criminality to the death penalty disposition (Peffley and Hurwitz 996). Additionally, from this research, it is evident that people have largely perceived that blacks are more likely to be convicted for murder compared to White law offenders, which is not accurate. Instead, the overindulgence of most Blacks into serious crimes have made them become the larger victims of being convicted to capital punishment.

Importance of Checking Facts When Reporting Moral, Social and Political Controversies

The reliance on facts is imperative in attaining correct information and knowledge when reporting moral, social as well as political controversies. Also, that is because it prevents the issuance of erroneous information to a targeted audience, which could be misleading to their understanding of crucial moral, social and political phenomena occurring in society. Additionally, reporting using factual information can improve a person's social development with his peers or colleagues, by making him/her trustworthy and reliable by the public. The use of factual data in communication can also promote a politician's acceptance by the public on matters of law and politics, due to the reliability of the information that he/she delivers to the public. For example, a politician who use factual statistical data to address the public on their capability to drive change may be more accepted compared to counterparts who use propaganda to win over a targeted population.

Reaction to the Facts Attained

It is surprising that although the death penalty is meant to punish and discourage critical offenses, factual data reported in this research has illustrated that nations that abolish capital punishment record declined rates of homicide. Also, the facts of the study revealed that the large conviction of the African American population to capital punishment is not due to cultural biases. Instead, it occurs due to the public's perceptions that associate black criminality to the death penalty disposition. Lastly, the findings of the following research reflect on the typical American assumptions that support for the abolishment of capital offenses. Additionally, that is because the larger group of society members believe that the death penalty infringes on the victims' human rights. However, the facts presented by Peffley and Hurwitz's (2007) research are contrary to the current American society's perception. Additionally, this is because the stated society perceives the nation's criminal justice system to be biased in convicting criminals from the African American population to the death penalty.

References

Brandt PT, Kovandzic TV. Messing Up Texas?: A Re-Analysis of the Effects of Executions on Homicides. PLoS One. 2015; 10(9):e0138143. Published 2015 Sep 23. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0138143. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4580630/pdf/pone.0138143.pdf

DPIC. Deterrence. 2018. <https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/policy-issues/deterrence>.

Peffley, Mark, and Jon Hurwitz. "Persuasion and Resistance: Race and the Death Penalty in America." American Journal of Political Science, vol. 51, no. 4, 2007, pp. 996-1012. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227633166_Persuasion_and_Resistance_Race_and_the_Death_Penalty_in_America