Capital Punishment: An Ineffective Solution to a Complex Issue
Capital punishment is unethical and lacks empirical evidence as a solution.
While the West Bengal TMC government can be appreciated for taking proactive measures, such as attempting to introduce legislative bills addressing rape, they are not in denial mode like the BJP government, which tends to sweep the issue under the rug and becomes self-righteous when such incidents occur in non-BJP states, all while ignoring similar incidents in BJP-ruled states.
But is the West Bengal anti-rape bill on the table based on empirical evidence?
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct.
Capital Punishment lacks a deterrent effect
It's not about sympathizing with rapists; it's about recognizing that the death penalty is inhumane and lacks a deterrent effect.
The certainty of being caught is a vastly more powerful deterrent than the severity of the punishment.
Research clearly shows that the likelihood of being caught is a much more effective deterrent than even the harshest punishments. Sending a convicted individual to prison isn’t a particularly effective way to deter crime.
Prisons are effective at punishing criminals and keeping them off the streets, but long sentences, in particular, are unlikely to deter future crime. In fact, prisons may have the opposite effect: those incarcerated often learn more effective crime strategies from each other, and time spent in prison may desensitize them to the threat of future imprisonment.
So, how can we increase the certainty of being caught? It’s about making the police, governance, and justice systems more robust. It’s about making the process more streamlined and efficient. If cases are filed only after weeks and court intervention, something is very wrong with our police governance and accountability.
The proposal for a special police force called the "Aparajita Task Force" is a good start, but it’s crucial to ensure they are adequately resourced.
Human: A Biological Body with a Biological Brain
It’s natural to get angry as we are biological beings, but we shouldn’t forget that our actions and reactions are based on molecular processes in our brain. Criminal psychology can be studied in terms of environment and genetics, and how these factors impact the molecular processes of our brain.
Rapes and criminal psychology are being studied in research, and to bring about change we need to apply the research in practice, we need to address our regressive societal norms for women and prioritize mental health. Only then can we ensure that our workplaces, streets, and homes remain safe for women.