CRM/LAW C106 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Reaction Rate Constant, Mass Incarceration
10 May 2016
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Deterrence- most likely not a big impact; more for certainty than severity. Incapacitation- not much effect- not useful because age effect works against big effects for long term. Natural variation, knowledge of penalties, absolute vs marginal deterrence. Most offenders aren t paying attention to penalties- 2 years or five years is the same to potential offenders yet has a huge effect on imprisonment. Making prison terms longer is not cost effective. Crime rates disproportionate in low income/racial minority areas. There are good reasons to doubt both in addition to empirical studies: The general nature of most offenders do not involve planning or focus on long term- impulsive. Very hard to manipulate certainty and severity- plea bargaining, time element, the meaning of time to offenders. Number of persons executed per year in the u. s. : less than 50. The national academy of sciences review of the death penalty concluded:
