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Is The Death Penalty A Crime Deterrent?

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IS THE DEATH PENALTY A CRIME DETERRENT? 13

Is the Death Penalty A Crime Deterrent?

Research Proposal
Submitted by
Pierrechrist Ekue-Hettah
GPA 8070, Hamline University
Anita Larson, Instructor
20, April 2016

Abstract
The death penalty has been one of the most debatable and contentious issues facing the American public for many years. This paper proposes a study that analyzes the theory which holds that the death penalty will prevent people from committing heinous crimes. Two hypotheses oversee this study: 1) States that have a death penalty law will have lower rates of crimes punishable by death than states without death penalty laws, and 2) States that have the most executions will have fewer crimes punishable by death than states that do not execute often and those without a death penalty law. To examine each of these hypotheses, I propose two case studies that will be conducted with two States satisfying requirements for not having or regularly using the death penalty and comparing crime rates of these States over a range of time. The purpose of this research is to better understand whether the death penalty is truly a crime deterrent.

Purpose and Background
Death penalty laws date back to the Ancient Laws of China as a method of punishing criminals. According to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), a non-profit group based in Washington, DC, the first recorded execution in the English American colonies was in 1608 when Captain George

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