Type : MCQ

Intructions :

Directions: A paragraph is given below from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.

Question Statement :

The expenditure of time, money and sparse judicial and prosecutorial resources is often justified by claims of a powerful deterrent message embodied in the ultimate punishment - the death penalty. But studies repeatedly suggest that there is no meaningful deterrent effect associated with the death penalty and further, any deterrent impact is no doubt greatly diluted by the amount of time that inevitably passes between the time of the conduct and the punishment. In 2010, the average time between sentencing and execution in the United States averaged nearly 15 years. _____________________________

A single federal death penalty case in Philadelphia was found to cost upwards of $10 million - eight times higher than the cost of trying a death eligible case where prosecutors seek only life imprisonment.
The ethics of the issue aside, it is questionable whether seeking the death penalty is ever worth the time and resources that it takes to sentence someone to death.
Apart from delaying justice, the death penalty diverts resources that could be used to help the victims’ families heal.
A much more effective deterrent would be a sentence of life imprisonment imposed close in time to the crime.