Shouldn't we strive for a more enlightened justice system than China?

In response to Major Robert Di Stefano's Jan. 9 letter ("Make death penalty quicker, cheaper and more effective"): As a 21-year resident of central Baltimore, let me first thank the major for his service and for helping to keep me and my family safe. On the deterrent value of the death penalty, or lack thereof, the National Research Council last year concluded that all studies of capital punishment contain fundamental flaws that make them "uninformative as a basis for policy consideration."

January 14, 2013