The death penalty doesn’t deter murderers.
Apparently twenty year sentences don’t deter murderers either
Even life sentences don’t deter murderers as some kill other prisoners.
It’s not about deference; it’s about social sanitation.
Call me an optimist, but I think if TX raised the odds of homicidal criminals being executed from 1 in 100 criminal homicides to 10 in 100, I think that would make prospective killers sit up and take notice. The gnashing of teeth from media personalities slamming the injustice of putting so many killers to death would remind potential offenders that Texas really does execute significant numbers of people who commit murder. The current rate of 1 in 100 is ludicrously low.