Each Fried Felon Saves Up to 18 Victims

This is news that death penalty foes don't want to hear. A series of studies over the past six years all lead to the conclusion that the death penalty has a deterrent effect:

Among the conclusions:

• Each execution deters an average of 18 murders, according to a 2003 nationwide study by professors at Emory University. (Other studies have estimated the deterred murders per execution at three, five and 14).

• The Illinois moratorium on executions in 2000 led to 150 additional homicides over four years following, according to a 2006 study by professors at the University of Houston.

• Speeding up executions would strengthen the deterrent effect. For every 2.75 years cut from time spent on death row, one murder would be prevented, according to a 2004 study by an Emory University professor.

Of course, we could save even more lives by using organs from convicted felons for transplants.