Final answer:
Decreasing the number of people convicted of murder can involve enhancing deterrence through community accountability, addressing root causes of violence, revising harsh sentencing laws, improving forensic technology to prevent wrongful convictions, and considering the role of plea bargaining.
Step-by-step explanation:
To decrease the number of people convicted of murder, a society may consider several approaches that focus on deterrence, reform, and the accuracy of the criminal justice system. One method for decreasing murder convictions is improving deterrence policies, which could involve revising the way punishments are administered in the criminal justice system. For instance, anthropological evidence suggests that when every member of a community has a vested interest in preventing murder due to collective responsibility, the rates of murder may significantly decrease. However, such practices raise serious ethical questions. Additionally, addressing the root causes of criminal behavior through education, mental health services, and economic opportunities can lower the inclination towards violence. Revisiting sentencing laws, like the "three strikes" rule, and emphasizing rehabilitative rather than solely punitive measures could also contribute to fewer violent crimes. Lastly, to ensure that the innocent are not wrongly convicted, improvements in forensic technology and legal processes, such as those advocated by organizations like The Innocence Project, can help prevent miscarriages of justice. Moreover, considering alternative approaches like plea bargaining can affect the number of murder convictions, whereby individuals might plead to lesser charges to avoid the risk of a more severe punishment after a full trial.