Punishments {punishment, law} for crimes can result in more criminal behavior, reform criminals, deter further crimes, rehabilitate people, or incapacitate people. A small percentage of offenders can rehabilitate or reform. Society cannot predict who will successfully rehabilitate.
States have traditionally executed people {capital punishment}| who committed capital crimes.
purposes
Capital punishment can be to carry out justice {retribution}, deter crimes {deterrence}, stop further crimes {prevention, crime}, assuage victims, and make people feel safer. Criminals must anticipate death and so suffer.
negatives
Poor witnesses, biased juries, enthusiastic prosecutors, and circumstantial evidence can kill innocent people. Killing societies seem barbaric. Racism, poverty, nutrition, and injustice are possible factors. Responsibility and free will are questions.
suicide
Capital-punishment policies can affect killer suicide rates.
Society can confine people to regulated settings {prison} after arrests and/or convictions.
After release from prison, society can require convicted people to report regularly to officers about whereabouts and activities {parole, law}|.
Government leaders can free prisoners and/or forgive crimes {amnesty}|.
Prison-sentence reductions {clemency}| can free prisoners.
In criminal cases, government leaders can reduce punishment {commutation, law}|.
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Date Modified: 2022.0225