Is The Death Penalty a Crime Deterrent?
At the time of this writing it looks as if Governor Pat Quinn is poised to eliminate the death penalty in Illinois, joining New Jersey, New Mexico and New York in abolishing capital punishment in recent years. Currently 15 states and the District of Columbia have no death penalty. The state of Illinois has not executed a prisoner since 1999 when former Governor George Ryan imposed a moratorium on capital punishment. This was done after it was determined that a number of people on death row were innocent. The death sentences of 13 men were overturned. This action will inevitably fuel the ongoing national debate over capital punishment. Modern methods of DNA testing have led to a great number of death row exonerations throughout the U.S. and are causing many proponents of the death penalty to reconsider their views. The Innocence Project, an organization opposed to capital punishment, has stated that there have been 266 post-conviction exonerations in the U.S. The U.S. Supreme Court deci
