Eric M. Freedman

The death penalty not only does not deter violent crime, but actually works against reducing the crime rate, argues Eric M. Freedman in the following viewpoint. States that use the death penalty have crime rates that are nearly indistinguishable from those states that do not have the death penalty, he contends. Furthermore, criminal cases in which the death penalty is sought are much more expensive to investigate and try, he maintains, thus denying much-needed funds to programs that have been proven to reduce crime. Freedman teaches courses on constitutional law and the death penalty at Hofstra University School of Law in Hempstead, New York.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What evidence does the author present to support his contention that the death penalty does not deter crime?
2. According to Freedman, why are...