The death penalty and homicide deterrence in Japan

Japanese officials commonly claim that their country retains and uses capital punishment because it deters homicide. Although this claim is contested, few empirical studies have been done to assess the empirical reality. This paper uses data not previously available (monthly homicide statistics obta...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Muramatsu, Kanji (Author)
Contributors: Johnson, David T. ; Yano, Koiti
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2018
In: Punishment & society
Year: 2018, Volume: 20, Issue: 4, Pages: 432-457
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Keywords:
Capital Punishment
Comparative criminology
Crime Control
Crime Prevention
Death sentences
Deterrence
Executions
Homicide
Japan
Murder
Vector autoregression
death penalty
Description
Summary:Japanese officials commonly claim that their country retains and uses capital punishment because it deters homicide. Although this claim is contested, few empirical studies have been done to assess the empirical reality. This paper uses data not previously available (monthly homicide statistics obtained from Japan’s National Police Agency) to examine whether Japan’s death penalty deters homicide or robbery-homicide. Using vector autoregression models, it concludes that neither death sentences nor executions deter homicide or robbery-homicide.
ISSN:1741-3095
DOI:10.1177/1462474517706369