Do you believe in the death penalty and/or tougher prison sentences for serious crimes?

Question

I have been given an assignment and I am intending to argue about tougher prison sentences. How do you feel about it?

Answer 1

yes for both ... death penalty should be carried out within 6-12 months after all appeals are complete - why keep someone on death row for 15 or 20 years that is just ridiculous they didn't give their victim's time they shouldn't be taken care of in the prison system. they should also get rid of parole - if you can do the crime then you do the time this time off for good behavior is crap - and they should also get tougher in jail - no tv, rec rooms, games etc., make them do work in prison, clean the place, clean the city, streets.

Answer 2

This is an interesting subject that could be debated for a very long time.

Personally I do think that some crimes do deserve the death penalty but it is not as simple as that. As with anything each individual case would need to be examined closely. A man who walks up to someone in the street he doesn't know and stabs them because he feels like it deserves the death penalty, however a woman, who has been repeatedly beaten by her husband, who then kills him does not. I'm not saying she is innocent but there is certainly diminshed responsibillity. Then there is the issue of guilt. How can you be certain that they are guilty. After all many innocent people have been locked up for a crime only to be released several years later when they win their appeal. You can't bring someone back from the dead if you get it wrong. People that say it is worth the few mistakes would soon change their tune if it was a member of thier familiy who was wrongly convicted and put to death.
Don't forget that if you bring back the death penalty criminals are much less likley to plead guilty.

The death penalty should be part punshment part keeping society safe. Why should we be put at risk of a violent offender getting out and reoffending. However it should be quick and painless. Those who have suggested an almost revenge style painfull death only make themselves as bad as the person thay are talking about. There is a reason why it is called the criminal justice system not the crimnal revenge system.

As for the death penalty for rape, I agree to a small extent. Yes for rapists who go out and violently rape women repeatedly, but no to the couple who got too drunk and he got a bit carried away. It is still very wrong but the death penalty is too much. Also it is very hard to prove and it is not beyond some women to falsely cry rape.

Answer 3

Yes i believe in the death penalty, for the most serious offenders such as child killers, mass murderers etc

I also believe in longer sentences and tougher prisons.
More prisons would also be a good thing, especially if want to take all the drunken yobs off the street, fines and ASBO's are just slaps on the wrists.

Prison should be about punishment as well as reforming prisoners. Sky TV, game consoles etc should not be allowed. Prison should be hard and an unpleasant experience. Maybe if it was fewer criminals and thugs would want to commit crime and end up going back. Just now jail doesn't seem to scare them.
Life in prison should mean life, 10 years should mean 10 years etc.

Time shouldn't be taken off for good behaviour but time should be added for bad behaviour.

Answer 4

i don't believe in the death penalty.
(1) innocent people are killed.
(2) sends the message that some type of killing is ok
(3) doesn't work as a deterrent (look at US)

i do think prisoners should be allowed to commit suicide, though, so people like Ian Huntley would have destroyed themselves by now.

harsher punishments? longer sentences for rapists and paedophiles seem acceptable but beyond that there is scope for education and rehabilitation. the cost of incarceration is so high that supervised parole and work for the community would surely be a cheaper and more productive route.

in the end, much crime has poverty and lack of education as its root. governments in the most egalitarian societies (Japan) see the least crime.

Answer 5

A man said, 'I don't believe in hanging,' so another man threw a rope over his head and hauled him to the rafters. Just before he passed out, he was lowered to the floor.

When the semi-hung man recovered, the other man said, "There Sir, does that convince you?"

I believe in the 'Death Penalty,' I have read about, BUT, I do not believe that the Death Penalty is the only or the best penalty for the crimes it has been used to penalise.

I would only agree to its use on one condition.....

After the convicted criminal has been executed, if it is discovered / proven that s/he was not guilty, the Prosecuting Council and the Jury Members who found for the conviction, they then are to be EXECUTED as a matter of Justice for the Wrongful and Criminal Death of the Deceased.

There are times when the Law is unjust and it harms those it is there to protect.

Sometimes, Justice is needed to be seen to work.

Sash.

Answer 6

i think crime punishments should definitely tougher. Here, because of Human Rights and all, a robber or other criminal can be arrested and then put into jail, where he has a bed, tv, gym, and all other luxuries. This gives a criminal a way to think "oh well even if i get arrested, ill have tv, food and a good bed to sleep on". ON the other hand, in Arab countries, where the general public thinks they are inhumane and what not, if a robber is caught stealing, he will have his hands chopped. Not many people want their hands chopped so the crime rate is much lower. Jewelry shop owners leave their shops to go and pray and come back without worrying about someone stealing. So in conclusion, i believe there should be tougher punishments for crimes in total, not just serious ones.

Answer 7

Believe it or not the death penalty is STILL in excistence in the UK to be used in cases of treason! But back to your question, yes I do believe in the death penalty and tougher sentencing. But a lot of the fault lies within the prison system and with human rights campaigners! They have too many privileges in prison, pool tables, tv's in their cells etc but if they were to take them away they would play the human rights card. Also they should not be able to appeal against their sentence! Only my opinion but hope it helps!

Answer 8

Death penalty - a life for a life is fair, longer prison sentences just cost's the tax payer more money in the end.!!! In South Africa we have 33000 rapes a year and that is just what is reported, according to the police a lot of women don't report rape. In Soweto ( a city next to Johannesburg ) there is about 33 murders in one weekend ( that just 1 city in our country, imagine how much we have for a year, nobody even knows, statistics are not kept properly), therefore i am quite tired of people pleading for the lives of murder's and rapist's, WHAT about the Victims seems like nobody cares about them anymore, LETS MAKE SOCIETY SAFE !!! Bring back the death penalty around the world.!!!

Answer 9

I don't believe in the death penalty. I think they suffer more when they have to spend their entire life in prison. Also, killing them hurts the criminals family and they didn't have anything to do with committing the crime. Why should they be punished? And the death penalty costs the state more than sentencing someone to life.

Answer 10

Fry them ,child molester's, murderers or put them in a room with the family of their victims and let them bash their brains in. I'd even volunteer to flip the switch and they can know it was me. The UK has stupid laws, people kill others and they are out in a few years. Its a disgrace. You spend more time behind bars for stealing. If it was a member of the governments family killed i bet you would suddenly see a change in the length of sentencing for that type of crime.

And all this crap that prisoners have rights, you lost your rights when you committed the crime. They get sent to cushy jails with tv's, dvd player, play stations and 3 square meals a day. Then they sue the prison board if they are asked to clean the toilet as its a violation of their human rights, your not a human your a criminal. Send them to the chain gang and make them work.