PARAGRAPH COMPLETION :- The expenditure of time, money and sparse judicial and…
2023
PARAGRAPH COMPLETION :-
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.
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.
- B.
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.
- C.
Apart from delaying justice, the death penalty diverts resources that could be used to help the victims’ families heal.
- D.
A much more effective deterrent would be a sentence of life imprisonment imposed close in time to the crime.
Attempted by 4 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation:
The paragraph questions whether the time, money, and limited judicial and prosecutorial resources spent on the death penalty are justified by a deterrent effect. It states that studies repeatedly find no meaningful deterrent effect for the death penalty and that any deterrent impact is greatly diluted by the long time that elapses between sentencing and execution (about 15 years on average).
The sentence about a single federal death penalty case costing upwards of $10 million focuses on financial cost and trial expense. This is not directly about deterrence or the diluting effect of long delays, so it does not complete the paragraph.
The sentence that questions whether seeking the death penalty is worth the time and resources repeats a related concern about resources but does not address the central claim that the death penalty lacks meaningful deterrent effect or that delays weaken deterrence. It therefore fails to serve as the paragraph's concluding point.
The sentence about diverting resources to help victims' families introduces a different topic (how resources might be reallocated to victim support). That shifts the focus away from the deterrence argument and so does not complete the paragraph.
The sentence proposing life imprisonment imposed close in time to the crime directly answers the paragraph's two concerns: it offers an alternative that would better serve deterrence and it addresses the problem of long delays by emphasizing prompt punishment. Because it ties back to both the lack of meaningful deterrence and the dilution caused by delay, it is the best concluding sentence.
Therefore, the sentence proposing prompt life imprisonment as a more effective deterrent best completes the paragraph.