Do you believe in Death Penalty and why? imprisonment?

Question

I think people may see death penalty as a way out, so there would be no real punishment if they want them to suffer, keep them in a cell away from society, not kill them, that would only take all their problems away. I don't believe in a second chance, that's why I believe in life imprisonment

Answer 1

One of the people who answered, Steve F, I think, should take a look at some of the numbers.

Here is just one example. In the 11 years when New York State had a death penalty, well over 200 million dollars was spent on it.Exactly 7 people were sentenced to death in that time, and of the 7, 4 had just one appeal, the rest had none at all. Here are some of the reasons for the high costs: Once a suspect is caught, the prosecutor must do a separate investigation into the crime and into the suspect himself, that is, does the suspect have mental retardation (if so, he cannot face the death penalty) or mental illness (he can face the death penalty). If the prosecutor decides to seek the death penalty, the trial will have two separate phases, one to decide guilt, one to decide the penalty. The process of choosing jurors is much more complicated in death penalty cases. Many more pre-trial motions are filed by both sides and have to be answered. Prosecution teams use more lawyers, and where the money is available, the defense does too. Death penalty cases take much longer to try. If the sentence is death, the prisoner will be locked up in a separate prison facility, which is generally much expensive to run and to maintain. These are just the tip of the iceberg.

The average cost to incarcerate someone in New York State is about $35,000 per year. Do the math.

Most sentences of life without parole are not appealed. They mean what they say and they are sure and swift.

As far as the comment about devaluing the life of the victim, you can read statements by victims family members who believe that a death sentence is wrong, either because they oppose it in principal, or, amazingly, they support it in principal, but oppose it in fact because they know the devastating effects of a death sentence on families like theirs.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

I totally agree with you! If they get the death sentence and die, then they will not be alive to get their punishment. Keep them alive but give them a life sentence and a tough job in prison or something, but let them live so they can feel their punishment! Sure, they may get free meals, and this and that, but still, they cannot go anywhere if they wanted to, have to sleep along side a bunch of other tough convicts that might beat them up now and then, other convicts trying to rape them, they have to shower with other convicts, they have toilets lined up side by side with no privacy partitions, besides, the meals are pretty rough tasting usually. Maybe this isn't the worst thing, but at least they can feel some kind of punishment, whereas they can't feel anything if they are dead.

Answer 4

I used to support the death penalty. I did not know most of the facts and statistics about it though.
1) The death penalty has been categorically proven to not significantly deter the criminals that would carry out crimes that would warrant the death penalty. The people who are given this sentence are, more the most part, screwed up in the head.
2) It costs MORE, through legal fees, court fees, appeals, and other costs in convicting and giving someone the death penalty than it does to give them life in prison.

I know #2 is hard to believe and it almost all cases it is true. Please do some research to see for yourself.

I used to support the death penalty, but now I don't because I know the facts and statistics that have definitively shown that the death penalty does not work.

Answer 5

Mighty Thinker: Your statement (copied here) about costs is a widely publicized LIE.
2) It costs MORE, through legal fees, court fees, appeals, and other costs in convicting and giving someone the death penalty than it does to give them life in prison.

People sentenced to life have as much right to appeal as those on death row. The ONLY cost difference is the 'room and board' that someone on death row would not live long enough to use if we didn't allow the convict to file multiple separate and redundant appeals. We could learn a lot from IRAQ in this regard.

Edit: I forgot the answer the actual question. In cases of premeditated murder, accepting anything less than the death penalty devalues the life of the victim.

Answer 6

If prison were truly a punishment for crimes committed, I would say OK to life in prison for crimes like murder. But, since today the prisoners do not have to work for anything if they do not want to, and enjoy free meals, free laundry services, free cable, free internet, free gyms, free medical and dental care, and a list of other freebies that law-abiding citizens have to do without if they cannot afford, and they get to spend their time hanging out, playing football, basketball, etc. I do not see how it is "punishment".

And since murder victims do not get a last meal, or a chance to say good-by to their families, the murderers should not get these privileges either.

To me, the only decent alternative to the death penalty (for murder, attempted murder that leaves permanent injuries, rape or child molestation) would be to use these criminals instead of the animals for medical and other testing. At least then they could serve some sort of purpose in society, instead of just being rewarded with freebies.

Answer 7

No to death penalty and yes to long jail sentences. Why? Death Penalty has failed as a deterrent and may even cause more murders because once a criminal has killed someone they figure they should kill anyone else that might tell on them or arrest them(like witness or partners in crime or cops). Also, since we have an imperfect justice system, and since there is no way to bring back the dead, in the interest of fairness, we allow appeals and motions and so very few get executed anyhow and it costs us the taxpayer way more than it would have if we had sentenced them to life in jail. Otherwise, I like to see more 'tough on crime' legislation that allows for longer sentences and less parole. Also, psych evaluations to determine if the criminal will return to a life of crime as part of determine parole.

Answer 8

I do believe in death penalty because there are some people that can not be rehabilitated,i.e. serial killers, child pedophiles. Life imprisonment just means that they are getting everything they need at our expense. I don't have an interest in providing housing,food,clothing etc. for someone who murdered little children.

Answer 9

I think laws are there for people to fear of, and to guide by. If we have no law then everyone will feel free to do what ever they pleased. Humans are born to doing bad things because we born with sin. Even though, God teaching us morals through our wisdoms, some people are still over come by evils and live in a deep of sins. Knowing good and bad we have to discipline ourselves to do only good things. Some people don’t think about and were lost all their good morals. They were in the control by morally bad evils’ power. They couldn’t discipline themselves to do good. They believed that killing someone else was enjoyment, pleasure, and satisfaction. They give themselves to their evilest by destroyed the other with the unlimited of killed. Some people couldn’t discipline themselves well, so laws are there to discipline them. Satan had his choice from God, but he would not chose to be with God. God is good, and He is love. These people who killed the other and doing bad things were also have their choice to do good things, and love the other. They fain to do evils in every opportunity, and taking risks to break all these laws of humans. The law of death Penalty has its pressured of an obliged and required to end these evilest people. Most of death penalty law was taking times and money to make sure and to proved these people were guilty before put them to dead.

Answer 10

I belive in the death penalty, I belive that it is way under used, and I belive that we should have public executions as it would detour people from commiting violent crimes. It's called making an example of people, if you saw someones body hanging because of a crime they commited wouldn't it make you think twice before commiting th same crime?