Capital Punishment and Deterrence: Conflicting Evidence?

Until 1975, belief in the deterrent value of capital punishment had no authoritative empirical support.The studies widely cited prior to that time, most notably those of Sellin' and Schuessler, 2 had in fact found evidence consistent with the theory that the death penalty has no deterrent effect.Then Isaac Ehrlich reported results of a complex econometric analysis of aggregate United States times-series data, results indicating that capital punishment is an effective deterrent. 3While Ehrlich's study has received a considerable amount of criticism, 4 it has also received some support, 5 and was even cited by the United States Solicitor General in briefs to the Supreme Court supporting the death penalty.