Are you for the death penalty or for life in prison. Why?

Answer 1

with dna why spend money keeping bastards in prison who rape and murder our children.I'm at the front of the cue when they ask for a hangman for pedos and perverts

Answer 2

You have gotten answers that are wrong about DNA, cost and deterrence. Here are some verifiable and sourced facts- facts about DNA, cost and deterrence are listed first-

Re: DNA
DNA is available in no more than 10% of murder cases. It is not a miracle cure for sentencing innocent people to death. It’s human nature to make mistakes.

Re: cost
The death penalty costs far more than life in prison. The huge extra costs start to mount up even before the trial. There are more cost effective ways to prevent and control crime and the extra money we spend on the death penalty should go to victims services, where the money is really needed.

Re: Deterrence
The death penalty isn’t a deterrent. Murder rates are actually higher in states with the death penalty than in states without it. Moreover, people who kill or commit other serious crimes do not think they will be caught (if they think at all.) Deterrence means that others will be persuaded not to commit a crime for which someone has been executed, incapacitation means the actual criminal cannot re-offend.

Re: Possibility of executing an innocent person
Over 120 people on death rows have been released with evidence of their innocence. Many had already served over 2 decades on death row. If we speed up the process we are bound to execute an innocent person. Once someone is executed the case is closed. If we execute an innocent person we are not likely to find that out and, also, the real criminal is still out there.

Re: Who gets the death penalty
The death penalty isn’t reserved for the “worst of the worst,” but rather for defendants with the worst lawyers. When is the last time a wealthy person was sentenced to death, let alone executed??

Re: Victims families
The death penalty is very hard on victims’ families. They must relive their ordeal in the courts and the media. Life without parole is sure, swift and rarely appealed. Some victims families who support the death penalty in principal prefer life without parole because of how the death penalty affects families like theirs.

Re: Alternatives
48 states have life without parole on the books. It means what it says, is swift and sure and is rarely appealed. Being locked in a tiny cell for 23 hours a day, forever, is certainly no picnic. Life without parole incapacitates a killer (keeps him from re-offending) and costs considerably less than the death penalty.

Opposing the death penalty doesn’t mean you condone brutal crimes or excuse people who commit them. According to a Gallup Poll, in 2006, 47% of all Americans prefer capital punishment while 48% prefer life without parole. Americans are learning the facts and making up their minds using common sense, not revenge or an eye for an eye mentality.

Answer 3

This is such a good question!! I believe that if you kill someone, or rape someone you should get the death penalty-because those are two of the sickest and worst crimes a person could commit! I think that life in prison is a dumb way to punish someone, as everyone else has said, it's an easy life for the inmates-they get 3 hot meals everday, clean clothes, a "home" that is furnished by the tax payers, and they don't have a single bill to pay! Thats no way to punish someone!!! As one commenter said before me-an eye for an eye! Thats the system we need to go by. This was such a great question!

Answer 4

Life in prison. Why? First, life in prison protects society as well as the death penalty. And--and this is the part pro-death advocates always ignore--no justice system is perfect. If a person is wrongly convicted, and later cleared--you can at least releas him/her from prison. That's not an option with the death penalty.

And having listend to both sides argue back and forth on this for years, I'm forced to say that the pro-death side shows no evidence of having any concern for the fact that under their system, innocent people will die. that doesn't say much for their supposed "concern for justice."

Answer 5

In the past I have been for the death penalty, and if it was one of my family murdered it would seem right, but now I think death is and easy way out, to suffer in prison for life should be misery...

Answer 6

Death Penalty; as long as the person got an honest trial, I don't wanna kill an Innocent person. Why? Because I don't think that somebody that did something horrible should deserve live the rest for their lives for free. They get shelter for free, food for free. OK, they don't get to see the streets again, but they don't get to be worry about paying the bills or giving child support or paying taxes. Usually the people that gets death penalty sentence is because they have done something really bad... I mean REALLYYYYY BAD, so why keeping them around expecting them to change.

Answer 7

Death penalty - why should a person that commits cold-blooded murder get a lifetime of free food, free clothes, free laundry service, free medical/dental care, a free gym, free internet etc? Why should they get to spend their lives lounging around while the law-abiding have to work for what they want and need? if a hard-working, honest person cannot afford to see a doctor or dentist, he has to suffer. But then a murderer is guaranteed care? Something is wrong there.

Answer 8

Death penalty. Prevents repeat offenders.

Answer 9

I am completely in favor. Three simple, basic reasons:

1) Criminals deserve punishment for the crime they committed. The punishment should be equivalent to the damage they caused.

2) Prevents repeat offenders.

3) Deters other criminals from committing the crime.

Answer 10

i belive that the death penalty serves a purpose to show society that murder will not be tolerated and the punishment fits the crime . if we didnt have it murder would be at a higher rate .

Answer 11

death penalty i no its harsh and all but its so much cheaper than having tax payers pay to let sum1 stay alive who mayb doesnt desirve to (of course this also depends on the crime they commited)