Re: This is why I\'m for the death penalty.
Clearly, revenge/retribution are a component of the criminal justice system. The question is what weight should we give to it. For what it's worth, I would say that the four main justifications for criminal justice are/should be:
1) Removal (public safety --- remove criminals from society to prevent further harm)
2) Retribution/Revenge
3) Rehabilitation
4) Deterrence
Capital Punishment does not accomplish #1 any better than life in prison w/out parole, it accomplishes 2, does not accomplish 3, and it is HIGHLY questionable whether it helps with 4 in any appreciable way greater than prison terms. So, ultimately, it boils down to retribution.
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