Since 1608, over 15,269 people have been executed in the United States and its predecessor colonies (Smykla and Espy). With the multitude of people executed, there is still little evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of capital punishment regarding future violent crime rates. The death penalty is expensive even when compared to the cost of incarcerating a violent criminal for life. With such a definitive punishment and its definitiveness, a large number of people were also executed who in fact later turned out to be innocent. Although there is a long history of the death penalty in the United States, there is a huge disparity between those who support capital punishment and those who wish to abolish it; However, with the abundance of evidence supporting its abolition, capital punishment should cease to exist in the United States until it is proven to be efficient and beneficial to society. There is little, if any, evidence to support that capital punishment deters crime rates. In a study of capital punishment and its deterrent effects conducted by Lawrence Katz, Steven D. Levitt, and Ellen Shustorovich, they presented little systematic evidence that execution rates influence crime rates (Katz, Levitt, and Shustorovich 318-343). There are many reasons why the death penalty does not deter crime rates, such as the prolonged period on death row, usually ten years, the ease of appealing to reduce life sentences, and the fact that some criminals they don't have the education needed to reduce the death penalty. be rational enough to think about the punishment before committing the crime. Some supporters of capital punishment argue that if executions were carried out quickly, then... middle of paper... individuals but also governments (Prejean). The United States must lead by example and make responsible decisions and policies to set an example so that its citizens can follow suit. Works Cited Drehle, Von. “Life in prison is one-sixth more expensive.” Miami Herald 10 July 1988: 12A, col. 1. Print.Katz, Lawrence, Steven Levitt, and Ellen Shustorovich. “Prison Conditions, Capital Punishment, and Deterrence.” American Review of Law and Economics. 5.2 (2003): 318-343. Print.Murray, Frank. "Innocents on Death Row." Insight into what's new. 15.43 (1999): 30. Print.Prejean, Helen. Dead man walking. United States: Library of Congress, 1993. Print.Smykla, John and Watt Espy. "Capital Punishment in the United States". National Criminal Justice Data Archive. Np, 1987. Web. 6 July 2011. .