Jay Johansen

Statistics reveal that the death penalty deters crime, argues web developer Jay Johansen in the following viewpoint. Between 1965 and 1982, when there were very few executions in the United States, the homicide rate steadily increased. When the number of executions sharply increased in 1983 and 1996, the homicide rate fell. Such consistent correlation between homicide rates and executions is not a result of coincidence—it is proof that capital punishment works, the author asserts.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. When did the U.S. Supreme Court reinstate capital punishment"
2. In what year did the homicide rate have its biggest one- year drop, according to Johansen"
3. In his discussion of relevant data, why does the author cite the homicide rate rather than just the simple number of homicides"

Advocates of capital punishment routinely argue that statistics...