Does it deter crime?

Scientific studies cannot prove that the death penalty deters crime. The death penalty does not work as a deterrent because the majority of people who do commit murders do not expect to be caught and furthermore the person acts in the heat of passion. According to statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Crime Report, areas of the country that use the death penalty are the least safe for police officers. These stats show that the death penalty does not deter crime, but influences it. Former Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox stated, “It is my own experience that those executed in Texas were not deterred by the existence of the death penalty law. I think in most cases you’ll find that the murder was committed under severe drug and alcohol abuse” (Death). To date, there has not been any evidence that the death penalty deters murderers rather than a life sentence without parole. We must provide justice to all or loose it all.