BT Informing Policy Development

Question 1

Capital Punishment

Answer 1

examples :
1. hanging - japan
2. shooting - china
3. lethal injection - usa

does it work ?
- gives sense of closure and indication to famililies
- some argue its revenge and doesnt provide actual justice
- works for crime control because it prevents reoffending
- however murder rates were 25 higher in cp states
- sometimes murder happens in heat of moment or mentally ill so stricter punishment is not needed

Question 2

Eugenics

Answer 2

• the aim to improve the genetic quality of humanity
• mental deficiency act of 1913 stated that people under 21, feeble minded, abandoned, habitually drunk or guilty of crime should be placed in institutionalised setting

does it work ?
- became racialised in the usa - after ww2 poorer communities were targeted (5000)
- targets were native american women and men, hispanic women and gendered non white women who were steralised unkowingly without consent
- for SP it doesnt work as it punishes collective people for actions of one individual
- for cc it works in voluntary cases however it relies on unproven genetic causes of criminality and so is ineffective and lombroso said it should be last resort.