▁and ▁unusual ▁pun ishment ▁viol ative ▁of ▁the ▁E ighth ▁Am end ment ". ▁ ▁None ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁eight ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Court ▁choose ▁to ▁join ▁Justice ▁Stevens ' s ▁opinion . ▁ ▁S cal ia ' s ▁conc urrence ▁Justice ▁S cal ia , ▁joined ▁by ▁Justice ▁Thomas , ▁wrote ▁separately ▁" to ▁provide ▁what ▁I ▁think ▁is ▁needed ▁response ▁to ▁Justice ▁Stevens ' ▁separate ▁opinion ": ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁fact ▁of ▁Justice ▁Stevens ' ▁experience , ▁the ▁experience ▁of ▁all ▁others ▁is , ▁it ▁appears , ▁of ▁little ▁consequence . ▁The ▁experience ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁legisl atures ▁and ▁the ▁Congress — who ▁retain ▁the ▁death ▁penalty ▁as ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁pun ishment — is ▁dismiss ed ▁as ▁" the ▁product ▁of ▁habit ▁and ▁in att ention ▁rather ▁than ▁an ▁acceptable ▁deliber ative ▁process ". ▁The ▁experience ▁of ▁social ▁scient ists ▁whose ▁studies ▁indicate ▁that ▁the ▁death ▁penalty ▁det ers ▁crime ▁is ▁re leg ated ▁to ▁a ▁foot note . ▁The ▁experience ▁of ▁fellow ▁citizens ▁who ▁support ▁the ▁death ▁penalty ▁is ▁described , ▁with ▁only ▁the ▁most ▁thin ly ▁ve iled ▁condem n ation , ▁as ▁stem ming ▁from ▁a ▁" th irst ▁for ▁ven ge ance ". ▁It ▁is ▁Justice ▁Stevens ' ▁experience ▁that ▁reign s ▁over ▁all . ▁ ▁Justice ▁Stevens ' ▁final ▁refuge ▁in ▁his ▁cost - ben ef it ▁analysis ▁is ▁a ▁familiar ▁one : ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁risk ▁that ▁an ▁innoc ent ▁person ▁might ▁be ▁conv icted ▁and ▁sent enced ▁to ▁death — though ▁not ▁a