Problem
Is it possible that the insignificant effects of the death penalty on murder rates are a function of the legal delays that prolong the sentence from being carried out, leaving killers on death row for many years, even decades, before they are executed?
I believe that it is possible that the insignificant effects of the death penalty on murder rates are a function of the legal delays that prolong the sentence from being carried out, however, this is not the only reason why I believe that the effects of the death penalty on murder rates are insignificant. I believe that the death penalty is strictly used to control not to deter or decrease crime. I would recommend that the process be neither accelerated nor carried out soon after guilt is established. I believe that the death penalty should be abolished. I say this because the death penalty can not be undone if someone was wrongly convicted. "More than 90% of the states that give death sentences had overall error rates of 52% or higher. 85% of states had error rates of 60% or higher." (Stevenson, 2009) The death penalty disproportionally affects specific groups, minorities and the poor are often sentenced to the death penalty. I believe that the real purpose of delaying executions so that people on death row can exercise every avenue of appeal is a false reason. I believe that the real reason is for prisons to make more money by holding prisoners.
Would you recommend that the process be accelerated and executions carried out soon after guilt is established?
Or is there a real purpose to delaying executions so that people on death row can exercise every avenue of appeal, making sure an innocent person is not wrongfully executed?