Capital Punishment For Murderers

[jackaaron]

I don't think we should ever execute anyone. But, that's because I believe living a life in prison would be worse than being executed.

[AlienBoy]

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1. Will it dissuade others from committing murder?
2. Is there more than a micro chance that the life sentence will allow an eventual release or escape?
3. Does it cost more to keep him alive?
4. Is there more than a micro chance that the defendent is innocent?

There may be other factors that deserve consideration that I haven't thought of but I doubt it.

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Here's one:

5: Which is a greater punishment to the individual? A life in a small room eating banal food with no hope of freedom, or being euthanized?



As to commentary on the 1-4 items:

1: There is no evidence that the death penalty is a deterrent.

2: Escapes from max security prisons are so rare as to be statistically insignificant.

3: Because of the high cost of litigation associated with a death sentence, it is often cheaper to merely house the criminal indefinitely.

4: There are a statistically significant number of cases of executions wherein the defendant was later shown to be innocent.


Having said all this I generally support the death penalty in certain kinds of crimes, or at least some means of permanently removing that DNA from society.


AB

[Matt Ruff]

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4. Is there more than a micro chance that the defendent is innocent?

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If you're reluctant to execute somebody because you think they might be innocent, shouldn't you be equally reluctant to send them to prison for life?

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No, because someone sent to prison for life can be freed if evidence is found to prove his or her innocence. If you kill a man he is dead forever.

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If you sentence a person to death in America, it will be years, perhaps decades, before that person is actually executed -- plenty of time to overturn a wrongful conviction. If they can't clear their name before they are killed, then I think it's very unlikely that they would have been able to clear their name before they died of natural causes. So I don't think the distinction you are making holds water.

[adios]

Murder rates have declined since capital punishment was reinstated. That's evidence isn't it? I somehow have the feeling that irregardless of what evidence you're presented with regarding the deterrence factor it won't change your mind. This seems to be a prevalent viewpoint. If you could be convinced that for every execution three less murders (just throwing out a number) are committed would you change your mind? I have my doubts.

[Xhad]

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If you sentence a person to death in America, it will be years, perhaps decades, before that person is actually executed -- plenty of time to overturn a wrongful conviction. If they can't clear their name before they are killed, then I think it's very unlikely that they would have been able to clear their name before they died of natural causes. So I don't think the distinction you are making holds water.

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OK, so if execution takes so long that there's no meaningful difference from life imprisonment then why do it? Why spend the court costs when you could just let nature run its course?

[Xhad]

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Murder rates have declined since capital punishment was reinstated. That's evidence isn't it?

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It would be if you could provide a source. Otherwise it's just conjecture.

[AlienBoy]

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Murder rates have declined since capital punishment was reinstated.

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No.

Death Penalty was reinstated in 1976. Murder rates actually climbed in the years that followed.

The decrease in homicides since 1995 is more attributable to other factors, and shows no correlation at all with the death penalty.

Indeed, this decline in homicide rates was seen in states where the death penalty was abolished.


Source: DOJ.


AB

[LouBlue]

I may have missed, it. Have you posted your opinion yet on the subject?

I'll throw in my $.02. I think there are undoubtedly cases in which the death penalty is warranted. I say this as someone who volunteers in the prison system fairly regularly, though I'm not exposed to the worst conditions or the most hardened criminals.

I'll also add that our current system is all about justice/punishment, and gives very little attention to reforming the criminal.

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I believe that the issue can be decided without emotions or high falootin philosophy or religion. ...

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[jjacky]

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I believe that the issue can be decided without emotions or high falootin philosophy or religion. Assuming we are talking about cold blooded murders, committed by "sane" defendents, I see the following four things as objective reasons to be for or against the punishment, as opposed to life without parole.


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i do strongly disagree.

some of the religious / philosophic questions are:

a) does life have an intrinsic value, no matter what a person does? (many christians believe in that)
b) is there a free will?

the answers to the questions matter a lot imo and they surely can't be decided without "emotions or high falootin philosophy or religion".

[Dot_the_Bot]

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4. Is there more than a micro chance that the defendent is innocent?

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If you're reluctant to execute somebody because you think they might be innocent, shouldn't you be equally reluctant to send them to prison for life?

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No, because someone sent to prison for life can be freed if evidence is found to prove his or her innocence. If you kill a man he is dead forever.

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If you sentence a person to death in America, it will be years, perhaps decades, before that person is actually executed -- plenty of time to overturn a wrongful conviction. If they can't clear their name before they are killed, then I think it's very unlikely that they would have been able to clear their name before they died of natural causes. So I don't think the distinction you are making holds water.

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sure it does. BOTH are miscarriages of justice (baaad), but one is irrevocable.

"It's okay that some innoccent people will be sentenced to death, because they have all the time afforded by our laborious and inefficient legal process to show their innocence." [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]