In the Belly of the Beast: Letters from Prison Chapter Summary & Analysis - Capital Punishment and Gary Gilmore Summary

Capital Punishment and Gary Gilmore Summary and Analysis

Marx once wrote to The Times newspaper in an unfinished letter stating that capital punishment is ineffective, and that it sows the seeds for others to commit murder and other violent acts. A newspaper once documented that following several executions, there were rashes of violent acts committed in the community. So, in essence, capital punishment is no deterrent for murder but could be said to encourage it. The very act of putting someone to death shows society a murderer that was not deterred by the threat of capital punishment. In fact, history has shown that punishment of any kind has never been a deterrent to crime. Abbott asks rhetorically whether it would not be more humane to brainwash a criminal into never committing another criminal act, than putting him to death.

Speaking about Gary Gilmore, whom Norman Mailer is writing about in his book The Executioner's Song, Abbott cannot understand...
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