Why isn't the guillotine used for executions?

A new study suggests that the primary reason people say they support the death penalty is based on an incorrect assumption — that the death of the murderer would bring satisfaction and closure to the victim’s family.

The study itself does not advocate for the death penalty or for life without the possibility of parole (LWOP). It is the first study, however, dealing directly with whether capital punishment affects the healing of murder victims’ loved ones.

The study was conducted by two researchers who come from states on opposite ends of the spectrum: Mark Umbreit, Ph.D., from the University of Minnesota (Minnesota has no death penalty) and Marilyn Peterson Armour, Ph.D., of the University of Texas at Austin (Texas leads the nation in executions).

Through personal interviews, the researchers compared family survivors’ experiences in Texas with those in Minnesota. The findings showed that, in Minnesota, victims’ family members show higher levels of physical, psychological, and behavioral health, as well as more satisfaction with the criminal justice system.
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http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/0...do-little-to-heal-victims-families/64973.html
 
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