Conflict Resolution
When Florida Governor Bush firstly introduced the 10-20-Life law in 1998 due to rising violent crime rates, it was surprising at how tremendously the crime rate lowered compared to that of previous years. As of 1998, 31,643 violent crimes involved the use of guns, and there were 13,937 armed robberies (Crosby Jr., 2005). Between 1998-2004, violent crime rates decreased, Crosby says:
“…armed criminals robbed a total of 10,567 fewer people and killed a total 380 fewer than they would have if these crime numbers had remained at 1998 levels” (Crosby, Jr., 2005).
Overall, the violent crime rates have decreased by 30 percent according to Crosby and the Bureau of Research and Data Analysis (2005). The purpose of this example is to prove that there are many different and useful alternatives to decrease crime whilst indirectly decreasing the need for capital punishment.
The direct method will involve a bit more contemplation than that of the indirect method because in this method, capital punishment is being replaced; not affected indirectly but directly. There are many prisons that house rehabilitation centers for use of prisoners at will. But studies show that a faith-based system instead of capital punishment can improve the recovery of inmates compared to that of standard rehabilitation (www.ifapray.org). According to the Intercessors for America, a study conducted by Byron Johnson from the University of Pennsylvania, only 8 percent of the inmates who completed the faith-based approach were re-incarcerated in contrast to the 20 percent who were administered standard rehab and or no rehab at all (www.ifapray.org, 2003). A Faith-Based approach can dramatically decrease the re-incarceration of inmates. The matter of the fact is that prison never serves as its own rehabilitation center; Ros Burnett and Shadd Maruna said:
“You have to get used to the fact that many things life is never going to be the same because you got a criminal record… As far as society is concerned you are never… rehabilitated” (2006, 11).
What if prisons were not just a place for punishment, what if it were actually a massive rehabilitation center? The previous example above confirms that re habilitation for inmates has decreased the overall re-incarceration of inmates. Capital punishment has risen over the years while the crime rate remains the same (Knowledge Unlimited, Inc., 1997). The means mentioned above ought to be considered to decrease the need for capital punishment.