How does the death penalty affect the crime rate in the US?
All criminal sanctions reduce crime rates. Anyone that doubts
that, just ask them what would happen if we did away with all
criminal sanctions for all crimes. Therefore, yes, the death
penalty deters, but it may not show up in crime rates. Very few
crimes are death penalty eligible and executions are even more
rare. All criminal sanctions, including the death penalty, deter
some. Thereofe, there will be fewer crimes and fewer murders
because we have criminal sanctions, than if we didn't have those
sanctions. Even if it doesn't show up in year to year crime rate,
there will be NET fewer crimes, than if we had no sanctions. Dudley
Sharp