Do you believe the US would have less crime if an "Eye for an eye" law were in place?

Statistically speaking just a bad idea. False accusations of (any) crime is around 6-12%. It's estimated that false conviction for death penalty cases is around 4%. Think about that 1 in 25.

You can't undo death. You can't undo maiming.

The way our current justice system is built, conviction of a felony (whether deserved of not) severely limits a persons job options in the future.

I'm very conflicted about the Death Penalty. I think it's a valid tool to get rid of monsters that shouldn't exist, that have proven they can't live in society. But "this," no... this isn't a good tool... this makes us the monsters.

Lex talionis - an eye for an eye - is a law in the Torah - the Five Books of Moses. It is stated several times in differing ways in Torah.

That being said, unlike the Code of Hammurabi, Judaism has NEVER carried out Lex Talionis punishment. The rabbinic commentaries on these verses is very clear - we are to assess a MONETARY compensation for the injured party. Judaism is actually a Rabbinic, not a Biblical religion, so this is how the rabbis are able to over-rule what's in the Torah.

AS an example. Let's say I poke out your eye. You still have an eye to see with. But, what if I only have ONE eye, and you poke it out in retribution. That is not an equitable deal, since you can still see, but I am now blind.

If this were the law, we'd have lots of blind people and little justice.

For justice to be effective, it MUST be tempered with logic AND mercy.

In the West, we condemn brutal punishments such as cutting off of a hand, beheading, etc. I am disturbed that people would think that this is an ideal form of punishment.

Not a good idea in my book, granted there are and have been people that I would love to deal with in this method.
But, I do believe, that if you are breaking into my house, you will be shot with a 12 gauge loaded with #7 shot. ( I don't want the bb's going through the walls and into the neighbors house.)