Should we bring back the death penalty?

[Natsku]

No, its barbaric and doesn't actually work as a deterrent anyway (just look at the US).

Prisoners should be required to work or study while in prison and the very bad ones (serial killers, serial rapists etc.) should not be released (kept in prison or mental institution). Conditions don't need to be harsher as that doesn't work as a deterrent either.

And as Morri pointed out, more work needs to be done to prevent (some) crime in the first place by helping out low income/low educated people more. The more unequal a society (bigger gap between rich and poor) the higher the crime rate. Something needs to be done about that gap.

 

[Blah11]

Absolutely. The only thing barbaric and disgusting is the actions these foul animals commit. They lose their human rights the second they act like a violent thug and attack another individual. I for one would sleep a lot better at night if I knew those arseholes were 6 foot under, whilst they're still alive, they're a threat and a waste of air and resources. Prisons are way too cushy.

I don't know how anyone could look at this picture and think the scumbags that did it should still be entitled to their lives. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2178626/Battered-face-pensioner-Joe-Carter-82-chased-burglars-beaten-home.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

As for the argument "makes us no better than them", I fully disagree with this. I for one would never inflict any sort of injuries on someone which they do. Them on the death penalty is nothing like the cold blooded murder/violence which they commit. The difference is, they deserve it, and death would be delivered in a much 'nicer' way than what they did to their poor victims.

Alternatively, prison would suffice if they were chucked in a tiny cell with no windows, no bed, no toilet and a slice of dry bed everyday for the rest of their lives. Even their misery would not compare with those of the poor families left behind after these tragedies.

They should be punished and serve time away from their lives and famiilies but i dont think they should die for it or that they deserve to die from it.
& I think the worst part of it is knowing theyre going to die in X amount of days, not the actual way they die. Its the fear of knowing.


Anyway I'm glad we live in a country where it would never be brought back

 

[mummy2lola]

I'd vote yes to bring it back.i couldn't look at a situation say if my child had been sexually abused or murdered and think "get him working and treat him well in prison and I'm sure he will come out a better person when he's done the usual half sentence" of course im gonna want to see the person dead,it's my child so all these people that get raped/murdered/tortured are someone's child so it must be devastating when a lenient sentence is given to a scum bag that has taken a good persons life and will shortly be able to continue their life xx

 

[LoraLoo]

I'd vote yes to bring it back.i couldn't look at a situation say if my child had been sexually abused or murdered and think "get him working and treat him well in prison and I'm sure he will come out a better person when he's done the usual half sentence" of course im gonna want to see the person dead,it's my child so all these people that get raped/murdered/tortured are someone's child so it must be devastating when a lenient sentence is given to a scum bag that has taken a good persons life and will shortly be able to continue their life xx

I agree, its not right that some do seem to get very lenient sentences, but i think bringing back the death penalty doesnt right that. You say it would be devastating for that person who has, for eg, had their child or brother/sister murdered. But by executing the murderer, aren't you killing someones elses child, or brother/sister? No doubt they still love that murderer, you are punishing that persons whole family too.

 

[TwilightAgain]

So for those of you that agree with the death penalty- what about those that, I dont know, have got into a drunken fight, and one punch has killed that person, or a woman thats been battered for years and years and cant take any more? They've still taken a life? Or just for brutal, one off attacks with no motive? Or only mass murderers or serial killers? Where do you draw the line?

Personally I think it fully depends on the circumstance. Its not a one size fits all situation.

Victims of domestic abuse finally snapping and striking is different - in self defence. Getting into a fight and accidentally killing someone without the intent is different. But the people which I would fully support facing the death penalty are those who deliberately set out to cause and torture on another individual. Like that nutter in Colerado for example, he knew exactly what he was doing and he set out to kill those people deliberately.

 

[shorman]

It's a tough one yes in someways and no others as like people has said were is the line? I personally don't think anyone has the right to decide wether you live or you die, I think the prisons kneed to be a lot tougher and I agree with they should pay back in there wages.

 

[Redhead84]

Prison is tough, at least for those, like my OH, would never have imagined being there in a million years, made one mistake and landed there one day.

I've put his diary up in the Debates section if you want an account of life inside from someone who isn't a scrote.

I'm a hypocrite when it comes to the death penalty, as I expect most people are.

Morally and legally I don't agree with it at all - mistakes can never be rectified, but if it were available for the excuse for a man who raped and beat me so badly I ended up in intensive care I wouldn't only want it to happen, I'd want to do it myself.

 

[Tasha]

Personally I think it fully depends on the circumstance. Its not a one size fits all situation.

Victims of domestic abuse finally snapping and striking is different - in self defence. Getting into a fight and accidentally killing someone without the intent is different. But the people which I would fully support facing the death penalty are those who deliberately set out to cause and torture on another individual. Like that nutter in Colerado for example, he knew exactly what he was doing and he set out to kill those people deliberately.

I actually he is ill, so whilst he may look like he knew what he was doing, I dont think it would be right to give someone with mental health problems the death penalty.

 

[lhancock90]

Personally I think it fully depends on the circumstance. Its not a one size fits all situation.

Victims of domestic abuse finally snapping and striking is different - in self defence. Getting into a fight and accidentally killing someone without the intent is different. But the people which I would fully support facing the death penalty are those who deliberately set out to cause and torture on another individual. Like that nutter in Colerado for example, he knew exactly what he was doing and he set out to kill those people deliberately.

I actually he is ill, so whilst he may look like he knew what he was doing, I dont think it would be right to give someone with mental health problems the death penalty.

I agree, i do think that man is ill.
I'm confused as to why nobodys actually looking into it.

 

[Faythe]

No. I think it's barbaric. Taking a life doesn't = justice.

Plus think about how many people have been wrongly convicted

 

[CarlyP]

Yes. Certain crimes are unforgivable!

 

[TwilightAgain]

Personally I think it fully depends on the circumstance. Its not a one size fits all situation.

Victims of domestic abuse finally snapping and striking is different - in self defence. Getting into a fight and accidentally killing someone without the intent is different. But the people which I would fully support facing the death penalty are those who deliberately set out to cause and torture on another individual. Like that nutter in Colerado for example, he knew exactly what he was doing and he set out to kill those people deliberately.

I actually he is ill, so whilst he may look like he knew what he was doing, I dont think it would be right to give someone with mental health problems the death penalty.

But then where do you draw the line between being 'mentally ill' or just plain cruel and evil?

 

[Natsku]

Personally I think it fully depends on the circumstance. Its not a one size fits all situation.

Victims of domestic abuse finally snapping and striking is different - in self defence. Getting into a fight and accidentally killing someone without the intent is different. But the people which I would fully support facing the death penalty are those who deliberately set out to cause and torture on another individual. Like that nutter in Colerado for example, he knew exactly what he was doing and he set out to kill those people deliberately.

I actually he is ill, so whilst he may look like he knew what he was doing, I dont think it would be right to give someone with mental health problems the death penalty.

But then where do you draw the line between being 'mentally ill' or just plain cruel and evil?

Generally the line is drawn at the diagnosis of mental illness...

 

[TwilightAgain]

Personally I think it fully depends on the circumstance. Its not a one size fits all situation.

Victims of domestic abuse finally snapping and striking is different - in self defence. Getting into a fight and accidentally killing someone without the intent is different. But the people which I would fully support facing the death penalty are those who deliberately set out to cause and torture on another individual. Like that nutter in Colerado for example, he knew exactly what he was doing and he set out to kill those people deliberately.

I actually he is ill, so whilst he may look like he knew what he was doing, I dont think it would be right to give someone with mental health problems the death penalty.

But then where do you draw the line between being 'mentally ill' or just plain cruel and evil?

Generally the line is drawn at the diagnosis of mental illness...

Is there such a thing as mental illness in these cases though? Maybe. Maybe in some cases its just an excuse or a desperate case of reason.

If there is, what about those who are wrongly diagnosed? I don't know much about the tests done to be honest, but what if they're not ill and they're mis diagnosed but they get off lightly for it?

Theres too many what ifs surrounding this topic. It is very interesting though.

 

[Yammas]

Im on the fence about the death penalty tbh if someone is a prolific serial killer and they are just plain evil with no indications towards mental illness then I think the death penalty would be giving them the easy way out rather than having to live the rest of thier life knowing theyll never be free. Id like to point out that the death sentence is a long process with prisoners in america being on death row for years and years... Also how would you tell a family that their child was wrongly convicted after theyve been put to death???

I think that serial rapists shuld be castrated so that they can no longer pose a risk to others if they dont try to change thier ways.

Im not sure if I think prisons need to be tougher, on one hand I think that when you have people who dont want to leave prison because its nicer than being on the streets theres something wrong however it goes against rehabilitation as they arent treated the same as members of society. The real problem is the lack of support for offenders once they leave prison.

 

[Natsku]

Personally I think it fully depends on the circumstance. Its not a one size fits all situation.

Victims of domestic abuse finally snapping and striking is different - in self defence. Getting into a fight and accidentally killing someone without the intent is different. But the people which I would fully support facing the death penalty are those who deliberately set out to cause and torture on another individual. Like that nutter in Colerado for example, he knew exactly what he was doing and he set out to kill those people deliberately.

I actually he is ill, so whilst he may look like he knew what he was doing, I dont think it would be right to give someone with mental health problems the death penalty.

But then where do you draw the line between being 'mentally ill' or just plain cruel and evil?

Generally the line is drawn at the diagnosis of mental illness...

Is there such a thing as mental illness in these cases though? Maybe. Maybe in some cases its just an excuse or a desperate case of reason.

If there is, what about those who are wrongly diagnosed? I don't know much about the tests done to be honest, but what if they're not ill and they're mis diagnosed but they get off lightly for it?

Theres too many what ifs surrounding this topic. It is very interesting though.

Yes there is. According to one study, a huge proportion of inmates suffer from some form of mental illness.

Being forced into an institution for the rest of your life (as I expect a mental ill mass murderer would be) isn't exactly getting off lightly. And it would be wrong to kill someone because they were failed by society and not treated for their illness.

 

[Natsku]

Im on the fence about the death penalty tbh if someone is a prolific serial killer and they are just plain evil with no indications towards mental illness then I think the death penalty would be giving them the easy way out rather than having to live the rest of thier life knowing theyll never be free. Id like to point out that the death sentence is a long process with prisoners in america being on death row for years and years... Also how would you tell a family that their child was wrongly convicted after theyve been put to death???

I think that serial rapists shuld be castrated so that they can no longer pose a risk to others if they dont try to change thier ways.

Im not sure if I think prisons need to be tougher, on one hand I think that when you have people who dont want to leave prison because its nicer than being on the streets theres something wrong however it goes against rehabilitation as they arent treated the same as members of society. The real problem is the lack of support for offenders once they leave prison.

I agree with this. Once someone is labelled a criminal it can be very hard for them to return to a normal law-abiding life because of the stigma, the lack of support and the difficulties in getting proper jobs so they just end up turning back to crime.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Having done a paper on capital punishment in one of my criminology classes, here are my thoughts:

The death penalty in the USA has been the subject of controversy of late. Many states are grappling with whether or not the lethal injection is cruel and unusual punishment (from the Bill of Rights stating that people can not be subject to cruel and unusual punishment, hence why hangings and the electric chair are slowly being phased out).

A person facing the death penalty has so many appeals. It costs MORE to keep someone on death row because of this as opposed to keeping someone in the general population.

Is it a crime deterrent? That's up for debate. It depends which researcher you talk to and which state that has the death penalty you are looking at. I personally don't think it deters people from committing murders and such.

Where do you draw the line? Someone mentioned battered women who kill their husbands after years of domestic violence. There are defenses that prevent a woman in this situation from facing the death penalty. Battered Women's Syndrome has been used often as have psychological examinations of the witness.

Do I support capital punishment? Yes. Yes, I do. Why? Because I don't think people that commit crimes, like child rape, first degree murder, and mass murder should live.

The man that did the killings in Denver will most likely plead insanity. He'll be placed in a mental hospital until he is deemed sane to assist in his own defense.

I think that prisons/jails should be modeled after the tent city jail in Arizona. Sure, they have cable (the weather channel played 24/7), but they also have pink underwear and socks and live in tents. No amenities. And people wonder why the sheriff keeps getting reelected.

Anyways, those are my thoughts.

 

[meli1981]

i agree with the death penalty depending on the crime. if someone killed and tortured my babies, you bet your ass ill thumbs up their death! ill even be front row! people that do these acts are sick and cant be cured imo. what good are they to society, except taking up tax payers money to keep them in prison. im sorry but i dont feel bad for their families, their kids committed a crime and have to pay for it, i feel sorry for the VICTIMS and the VICTIMS families.

 

[Natsku]

He keeps getting reelected because people are stupid. It does nothing to lessen recividism or deter future criminals. I wish I could remember the name of a documentary I watched on that Arizona jail as I'd recommend you watch it.