Should the death penalty be brought back for murder??

Answer 1

Yes I think it should be brought back because it might make people think twice before they commit a foul crime. Also they should increase sentences for other crimes. I feel the penalties are to soft in this country that's why their is so much crime now.

Answer 2

No - I know death is scary, but I think rotting in prison is a far better punishment - however, that said, I don't think prisons are really punishment these days, what with the Human Rights Act that means if they don't get their cavier and bollinger for breakfast they will sue, its seems to be a bit more of a holiday camp. Prison isnt really a deterent anymore, especially for the 'long term' prisoners or the 'lifers' - infact, it seems the longer you have to spend in prison the better the treatment you recieve - they should make it alot harder - NO t.v, NO pools tables or gyms, NO nothing except for bibles (BORING!!!) and educational books and they should only be fed water and a sort of 'Matrix' style porridge (whereby it tastes like s**t but it contains all the stuff you need to keep you alive)
However, Im not religious or anything, but I dont think the death penalty is punishment enough and I also have a terrible fear of the wrong person being accussed and then suffering the death penalty (sort of like Chris............damn, I forgot his name, from that film 'Let him have it' and also the man whos daughter and wife were murdered by Mr Christie of 10 Rillington Place).

Then again, a thought just come into my head that if someone hurt ANYONE I loved or cared for I would want them dead, so take back EVERYTHING I said up there!!!! YES - they should bring back the death penalty!!!!

Answer 3

Look at it this way; there are 2 scenarios.

SCENARIO 1
A murder is commited. The murderer is caught. As a taste of his own medicine and a punishment that makes him realise the direness of his crime, you hand him the death penalty.
This way, 2 lives are lost.

SCENARIO 2
A murder, again, is commited. The murderer, again, is caught. But this time, you decide to jail him, give him counselling and try to reform him. In some years' time, he is a changed man who can go on to become a good citizen.
This way, only 1 life is lost.

Doesn't scenario 2 sound better? It sure does.
I don't think the death penalty should be brought back, no way. But yes, punishments and reforms should be brought in, punishments and reforms that will change the mindset of the murderer.

Answer 4

No. How can we condemn killing someone, and then at the same time condone it?
We have to take the moral high ground.

But I do think that "life" should mean locked away for life. No matter how much it costs the taxpayer. I think that people tend to want the death penalty returned because too often we see murderers being freed after 10, 20, 30 years. Life should be forever until they die. That would ensure our protection.

Death penalty will not deter those who will murder anyway... because all murderers believe that they will get away with it, so death penalty is not a detterent.

Answer 5

Here in Texas not only do we still have the death penalty but within the last couple of years the state legislature passed a law that says something like if 2 (or 3, I can't remember) credible witnesses saw the murder then the convicted person gets moved to the front of the line - no more forever appeals.

God Bless Texas!

Jen

Answer 6

I have taken some time about this answer....

No. Absolutely not. Never. I often used to find myself alone amongst my fellow police officers on this subject. I'm no softy, so here are my reasons:

You can't unexecute someone you have convicted wrongly;
You can't have the moral high ground if you, too, kill;
It would create a circus, like the one you see in the USA every execution;
The appeals procedure would cost a fortune.

Being locked up for many years and reminded of your crimes is indeed punishment, just look at the torture suffered (rightly) by Myra Hindley until her death and Ian Brady who is today being kept alive against his will. There would have been no such suffering had they been convicted a little earlier, as conviction was usually followed by execution about a month later.

I really wouldn't want to be the police officer trying to arrest a man who faces execution and has nothing to lose...

...and the two most important reasons against restoration:

1) European law forbids us from having a death penalty on statute, so we couldn't if we wanted to.
2) A jury containing members who are opposed to the death penalty like me would acquit any defendant, meaning that dangerous murderers could walk totally free, and that's the most scary thing of all. Better they are safely locked up where they can't kill again.

Answer 7

Hmm 20 years hard labor, then kill them, already happens in the usa. All them prisoners on death row. If a person pleads innocent to murder would give them 5 years before death penalty, would enable forensics etc to determine the truth. So yes it should be brought back. Subject to above.

Answer 8

If the 'murderer' is innocent, then no. This is why the death penalty was abolished in the first place. A jury decides on his/her fate for some reason.
Unless a person confesses to a crime, their guilt or innocence is debatable. If you killed someone on purpose or by accident, you would know that you had done this and would want to tell someone. How many innocent people were hanged before the death penalty was abolished is astronomical.

Answer 9

The death penalty should never be reinstated... I'm fully against Saddam Hussein getting the death penalty too, I think people should be made to suffer for a prolonged period of time in a prison cell so that they can repent and feel remorse for commiting murder or left to rot in there.

Answer 10

The death penalty exist in many states already. I believe that if person committed a murder they should be punished with the death penalty. But unless a person confesses and pleas guilty no one will ever know if he/she did it or not.