Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Cleveland State University
Position:
Not Clearly Pro or Con
to the question "Should the death penalty be allowed?"
Reasoning:
"No support whatsoever is found for the argument that the certainty, or celerity [speed], of the death penalty provides an effective deterrent to murder.
Although some possible limitations of this investigation have been identified, the consistency of the findings with earlier studies cannot be ignored. Nor can it be ignored that not a single reputable study has yet to demonstrate the death penalty to be a more effective deterrent to murder than alternative legal sanctions...
For these reasons, and because of the seriousness of the issue, I feel obliged to agree with most previous investigators. The evidence clearly suggests that the death penalty in our criminal justice system, at least for murder, will have to be justified on grounds other than its deterrence effectiveness."
"Deterrence and the Celerity of the Death Penalty: A Neglected Question in Deterrence Research," Social Forces, June 1980
Experts
Individuals with MDs, JDs, PhDs, other relevant advanced degrees, corrections and government officials with significant involvement in, or related to, death penalty issues. [Note: Experts definition varies by site]
Involvement and Affiliations:
Professor, Sociology, Cleveland State University, 1971-present
Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Cleveland State University
Director of Graduate Admissions, Cleveland State University
Member, Equal Opportunity Hearing Panel, Cleveland State University, 2008
Recipient, Service Award Recognition, Cleveland State University, 2006
