High Stakes: Criminal Decision-Making Amongst Indonesian Drug Offenders

Many countries retaining the death penalty believe it to be a deterrent for criminal activity, on the premise that a potential offender will rationally balance the risks and the rewards of the crime and decide against it if the magnitude of the punishment outweighs the rewards. Drug markets would also be influenced by it, with higher prices and a decreased availability of the substances due to the higher risks drug traffickers are exposed to. Therefore, crimes punishable with the death penalty should see a decrease in function of a higher frequency of death sentences. Contrary to these assumptions, studies have found that it is the likelihood of
apprehension rather than magnitude of the punishment to act as deterrent.