Why is there such a thing as Life in Prison?

Question

Why don't we just give them a death sentence, it has already been decided that the criminal should never be put back in society. Once the jury makes that decision, they are useless, kill them, why not?? if you disagree please give me a good reason, not just that I am an ahole. Think!!! before you respond.

Remember, I said THINK BEFORE YOU ANSWER. At least read the damn question carefully. Quite reacting! THINK!

If it is true that it is worse to rot in jail, then why do murderers fight against the death penalty at trial. I don't beleive living in any situation is worse than knowing you are about to die

Answer 1

I agree if their guilty beyond a shadow of doubt--get them off the planet. For the protection of others who were victims or will be.

Answer 2

Life in prison is ultimately a death sentence although it's often considered a more "humane" death sentence. Everyone looks at issues like this differently but it's a hard thing to say as a society if we disapprove of killing why we should than kill someone for crimes they have committed. There is a certain value to human life and by killing anyone it's a big question if we as a society help to devalue human life. Also while someone may be "useless" to society in general when they have a life sentence there is still the fact that they in the majority of time have parents and brothers and sisters and though their family may not approve of what the prisoner has done I'm sure that they still care for them and by putting them to death society would not only kill the criminal but kill a little part of all those on the outside who love that prisoner but are guilty of no wrong doing. Beyond all of this there are numerous cases where years later evidence has come up that has exonerated people that have been found guilty and have been on death row. Had they already been executed there would be no coming back and righting the wrong of being wrongly convicted.

Answer 3

1

Answer 4

The punishment must fit the severity of the crime. It is true, for some people life in prison is worse than death..but for others it is not. I do agree that housing many life in prision inmates for years is costly. Although, many death row inmates take years to be executed due to the amount of appeals that are allowed.

However, from a devil's advocate point of view...there might be a very small chance the person is innocent..if new evidence arises..such as DNA, that exonerates the person.

Basically, the system is flawed. I wish every decision could be right...but I do think not every life in prision inmate deserves the death penalty especially if all the offenses were non-violent which can happen if there is a three strikes law.

Answer 5

First and foremost, the death penalty devalues all human life - eliminating the possibility for transformation of spirit that is intrinsic to humanity. Secondly, the death penalty is fallible and irrevocable - over one hundred people have been released from death row on grounds of innocence in this "modern era" of capital punishment. Thirdly, the death penalty continues to be tainted with race and class bias. It is overwhelming a punishment reserved for the poor (95% of the over 3700 people under death sentence could not afford a private attorney) and for racial minorities (55% are people of color). Finally, the death penalty is a violation of our most fundamental human rights - indeed, the United States is the only western democracy that still uses the death penalty as a form of punishment.

Many studies that have found the death penalty to be MORE expensive only take into account one case, or a few cases and compare them to similar life imprisonment cases. These studies do not take into account the numerous cases that begin with a death sentence and end with a commuted sentence, with all of the trial and appeals costs of a death penalty case, as well as all of the prison costs of a life case.
When analyzing the death penalty’s costs, one must look at the system as a whole, and decide whether it is more expensive to have a system where the death penalty is an option the prosecution may choose.
The overwhelming majority of studies taken in the past decade that deal with the death penalty system as it exists in various states within the US, have found that it inevitably costs more than a system where life without parole is the harshest punishment available.
In addition, death penalty cases accrue costs upfront, at lengthy trials and appeals while life imprisonment cases are costly over a range of an inmates life (the average is approximately 40 years). The upfront costs bear more on the state and local governments than do the long-term costs. Even if the two systems costs exactly the same amount, the burden that the states will take over a few months is much heavier than an equivalent burden spread out over half a century.

Answer 6

Okay well one thing i want to ask you is what about the people who ended up there by mistake. Like there a woman in her home late at night when a man broke in. This man had her in a corner and he was about to kill her. this woman threw a jar at him in a last attempt to live. The jar hit hI'm right in the temple and killed him. She was put in jail because she killed him on accident even though we WAS going to kill her he never touched her so she was found guilty. those things happen and im sure you would agree that she shouldn't get the death sentence. Sure there are people that have done things that are so bad that it makes you just be like man they need the death sentence, but do you not think some people deserve a 2nd chance. Some don't but why go around killing everyone who does something wrong i mean theres people out on the streets right now that have done worse things then some of the people in prison. Just my opinion

Answer 7

The state should not kill people for these reasons....

It's more of a punishment to spend your entire life in jail then to die quickly.

There are several instances where evidence proved that a person was innocent after they had been executed. The government murdered them meaning every single person represented by that government is guilty of murder.

The fact is there is no 100 percent way to be sure the person is guilty...even if they say they are guilty. Let criminals rot in jail.

Answer 8

I actually agree with you, but you already know the answer to this question people don't want to sentence people to death. So instead of the death penalty they created life in prison so they can ignore the criminal and not feel bad because they didn't actually put them to death. It's one of the legal systems biggest cop outs!!

Answer 9

A lot of people disagree with the principal of the death penalty, so there's one reason. Also, a lot of people think it is better for someone to "rot" in prison and have a lifetime to think about what they did to deserve it - some think that death is the easy way out.

Answer 10

One good reason to not put a criminal to death is...what if he/she was actually innocent? Innocent people DO go to prison, although not very often. But yeah, for those who commited murder, rape, molested a child, or other violent crime and you know without a doubt that he/she is guilty...yeah. Fry 'em.

Answer 11

Because there is a difference between committing acts that warrant your removal from society and then those that warrant your forfeiture of life. In my opinion, life in prison should be for crimes against society (drug trafficking, large-scale fraud ala Enron, etc...) whereas the death penalty should be for crimes against humanity (rape, murder, etc...)