Is death penalty the answer to curb criminality especially crimes as heinous as rape and murder?

No - the death penalty is not a deterrent to violent crime. In fact, murder rates are consistently HIGHER in death penalty jurisdictions (see chart below).

This may seem counterintuitive, and there are many theories about why this is (Ted Bundy craved the publicity, so he chose Florida – the most active execution state at the time – to carry out his final murder spree).

It is probably due, at least in part, to the high cost (because of the legal processes involved, it costs taxpayers MUCH more to execute someone than to imprison them for life) - every extra dollar spent on capital punishment is one that's NOT going to police departments, drug treatment programs, education, and other government services that help prevent crime.

Personally, I think it also has to do with the hypocrisy of taking a stand against murder…by killing people. The government fosters a culture of violence by saying, ‘do as I say, not as I do.’

I don't think it matters if they get the death penalty or not. I was told that when people are in prison for heinous crimes against children they die anyway. I have a few cousins in prison. One of them just got an extra 25 to life for murdering an inmate who was locked up for raping a 3 year old girl. So I say just let them go to prison so they can see first had how it feels to be raped. I really think they should be castrated though

not really. the phils. has the death penalty for drug pushing and we all know how well that has worked (that was sarcasm folks so don't shoot the messenger) and as another answerer alluded to, US states that have the death penalty are arguably more dangerous than those without.

so it seems that the only glaring difference between a nation such as the philippines and a country that has a better handle on rapists/murderer is that in safer countries criminals, once caught, these are then slapped with the stigma as true convicts (and tend to be limited henceforth to the lower rungs of society) while in the philippines they are subsequently elected into political office. Bah-thump-thump! Thank you thank you, the wings are half price weekdays and I'm here every thursday night.

the answer is may be, but this is not the significant remedy to curb the crime rate in the country.

As far as my concern the significant remedy to curb the crime rate in the country is to push the divine form of living to the people not the death penalty, like a serious program of the government to push religious belief to the people because I thought they've forgotten yet their respective spiritual obligation and this is the time to refresh those significant thoughts of God. I know you are religious leader and I think this the right time that state need your help to influence the people into the divine world.

I've saw many studies that conclude that its not but common sense tells me it would especially if the sentence was executed swiftly,many states in the u.s. support the death penalty but the condemned is likely to die of old age due to legal red tape.it costs the tax payers much more money to execute someone than imposing a life sentence

It doesn't seem to be. When you compare countries that are otherwise comparable, you find that homicide rates are higher in the ones that have it. Within the US, homicide rates are higher in states with the death penalty.

By the way, the death penatly is indisputably more costly than life sentences.

Well if we're going to rely on the things that is happening around us now, it is. The grave killing is somewhat humiliating especially to those who were killed. But if we'll look on the other side, we have no right to get the lives or kill people because we also make mistakes.

I'm with Baloney, I think when a person commits rape and murder especially to minors, it is the moment that person has given up all his rights to live in the society.

yes

Yes. It is more costly to keep a prisoner for life than it is to execute him/her. Rapists and murderers do not deserve to be pampered with prison life at the expense of the taxpayers.