Should the Death Penalty be Reinstated to curb Serious Crimes?

Question

Do you think that if the death penalty were to be reinstated, it would curb serious crimes like murder, rape, child molestion, drive-by-shootings etc?
What is your take on this?
Serious answers, Please!
Please also state the country you reside in.
Thank you in advance!

Answer 1

A. Death Penalty was not abolished in the US. It's just not active in some states.

I think it should be reinstated for 'certain' crimes.Contrary to Dog Lover I think the death penalty should be for prevention.

Usually death penalty is given for gruesome crimes; like serial murder/spree murder; the 'sensational' cases. But people like Ted Bundy, Ailenn Wunos were psychopaths. It's a clinical condition. And I agree with you for the crimes death penalty should be active. Also for gang related crimes, rape and murder more than 3 counts...I can;t specify the crimes here!
Anyway, if death penalty was given out like this there will be a horde of executions to be carried out! And judges & polititians really dont want to give out orders to kill people like that. Sure, if there were really ugly,bloody photos no prob. Court rooms are all about perception not understanding. The seriousness of a crime is percieved by the ugliness of a crime scene. If death penalty is given out to continuing offenders there definety will be a drop down of crime. Also, prison traffic will be relieved too!

Answer 2

I live in Michigan where there is no death penalty. It may not really do all that much to prevent crime because nobody that does a crime intends to be caught. On the other hand it DOES guarantee that there will be no repeat crime by the same person.

I'm generally not in favor of it because it is applied so unevenly. For the thousands of men executed there have only been a handful of women that have faced the death chamber. There is also the problem of errors in the legal system. Look at how many people were convicted of crimes that were later proved innocent when DNA testing came into use.

There are some crimes that are so horrendous (like the little kids that get raped and murdered) that your gut feeling is that they NEED to die, but until they figure out a way to be absolutely certain they have the guilty party and they apply the same penalty equally to everyone, it's use is only one notch above state sanctioned murder.

Answer 3

Why are so many people afraid to accept the death penalty. Are they afraid they themselves may be a target of such a prosecution? I think the death penalty should be a punishment available to every judge and jury in both the states and here in Canada. The horrendous crimes that end up costing us law abiding tax payers millions so we can warehouse the likes of rapists, murderers, child molester etc. , who will never be a contributing member of society. We put dogs down for crimes they aren't even aware they've committed. Yet these granola eating, tree hugging few want the oppurtunity to 'rehabilitate' the psychos of the world. At least until they become a victim. If someone is to commit a violent crime he should be automatically sentenced to death and after a careful review of the case by an independent panel to ensure nothing was missed, the execution is carried out, and done so within a few months, not years!! As a matter of fact, I would go as far as to reccommend a mandatory death sentence for any person who commits 3 crimes within a 5 year period, jail time excluded.

Answer 4

The death penalty exists in North Carolina where I live. We actually have a trial going on right now where the death penalty is being considered. I think it's a great thing. I just wish it were more immediate. For instance, if you're found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt or guilty by confession and sentenced to death, you walk out of the courtroom and killed shortly thereafter. There are too many people on death row waiting to die and living for free while we continue to pour our tax dollars in to support them. With the gruesome crimes being committed these days, the criminals don't deserve another day after their sentencing

Answer 5

I live in upstate NY (U.S.). I used to be pro-death penalty, but I have changed my stance, for several reasons:

1. By far the biggest reason is this: Sometimes our legal system gets it wrong. Look at all the criminals who are being released after years of imprisonment because they were exonerated by DNA evidence. No matter how rare it is, our government should not risk executing one single innocent person.

Really, that should be reason enough for most reasonable people. If you need more, read on:

2. Because of the extra expense of prosecuting a DP case and the appeals process (which is necessary - see reason #1), it costs taxpayers MUCH more to execute prisoners than to imprison them for life.

3. The deterrent effect is questionable at best. Violent crime rates are actually HIGHER in death penalty states. This may seem counterintuitive, but think about the mixed message it sends: we’re trying to take a stand against murder…by killing people. The government becomes the bad parent who says, ‘do as I say, not as I do.’

4. There’s also an argument to be made that death is too good for the worst of our criminals. Let them wake up and go to bed every day of their lives in a prison cell, and think about the freedom they DON’T have, until they rot of old age.

5. The U.S. government is supposed to be secular, but for those who invoke Christian law in this debate, you can find arguments both for AND against the death penalty in the Bible. For example, Matthew 5:38-39 insists that violence shall not beget violence. 1 Peter 3:9 argues AGAINST “eye for an eye”-type justice. Leviticus 19:18 warns against vengeance (which, really, is what the death penalty amounts to). In John 8:7, Jesus himself says, "let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

Answer 6

We already have the death penalty in certain states and we don't use it enough! If it was used regularly rather than having them sit on death row for about twenty years than yes, I think it would curb serious crimes.

Answer 7

Capital punishment is legal in the US. Some states don't use it due to state constitutions but Federally it is legal and many states still have forms of capital punishment in use today.

Thirty-eight States and the Federal government had capital statutes in 2005.

In the US capital punishment is effective as a specific deterrent - the person who is executed will not re-offend. It fails as a general deterrent - deterring others from committing crimes because it is not swift and certain. Lengthy appeals process and the chance that it will be over turned.

Answer 8

When you have murderous sociopaths on the loose, I strongly support the death penalty, even if it does not have preventive values. There are certain levels of criminals who do not deserve to be alive, much less fed and pampered by our tax dollars. When it comes to the inhuman monsters, the cereal killers, the child killers, and stuff like that, they should be punished and executed because they have no business being left alive.

Answer 9

no of course not....we should let rapists continue to upduct rape and murder 12 year old girls around the nation with little to no penalty....they get to live, have meals, watch television...even have sex in prison! we should encourage gang bangers to do more drive by shootings that often kill little 5 year olds! put them in prison to hang wit da homies and drink pruno! that's JUSTICE To a LIBERAL!
cause a needle in the arm might make the scum murderer feeeeeeeeeeel some paiiiin or uncommmmmmmmmmfortable! liberals NEVER think of the victim! NEVER! what did that little girl go through in her final moments on the planet? it's horrific what is done to people and those that do it?

they should all die a horrific death for doing what they do.
and YOU THE STUPID TAX PAYER PAYS FOR IT!!! they should ALL BE IN A HOLE IN THE GROUND!!!

Answer 10

The death penalty is not for prevention.


The death penalty is for punishment.

For the most evil of all crimes, it should be carried out swiftly after conviction.

I live in Florida... and we croak a lot of these child murdering scum. As it should be.