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From: baba@flairvax.UUCP (Baba ROM DOS)
Newsgroups: net.flame,net.politics
Subject: Re: Bastille mentality alive and well in USA
Message-ID: <831@flairvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 26-Nov-84 21:22:58 EST
Article-I.D.: flairvax.831
Posted: Mon Nov 26 21:22:58 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 28-Nov-84 03:14:34 EST
References: <259@spp2.UUCP>, <1220@dciem.UUCP>
Organization: Fairchild AI Lab, Palo Alto, CA
Lines: 15

> I would be interested in any evidence to show that the death penalty
> has a reasonable chance of working (i.e. reducing the probability
> that I might be murdered, not reducing the probability that the
> particular murderer would kill again).
> 						Martin Taylor

As it happens, CBS radio reported within the last couple of weeks on a study
done by some sociological academics somewhere Back East.  They found a
decrease in the incidence of violent crime in areas where death sentences
were handed down and publicized, for a relatively short period (a week or so) 
after the sentencing.  Now, the decrease was only about 8%, and it is 
interesting that public *sentencing* rather than public execution had the 
strongest correlation, but there you have it, if that's what matters.

						Baba