Boo-f#%king-hoo

[Vachy]

I'd much rather someone suffer in jail than get out easy by death.

Is sadistic revenge worth the tens of thousands of dollars it costs us, though?

Perhaps we can come to a compromise with an immediate, yet slow and painful death?

...But really, I am against the death penalty because I believe *that* is what takes you down to their level. Families of victims want compensation for their loss, but all the death penalty does is spread the feelings of loss to another family. I think a more proper punishment would be a life sentence, but to make them work to pay for their upkeep, and keep spending to a minimum. How are you supposed to reflect on what you've done wrong by watching HBO at taxpayer's expense? Also, community service, for two reasons: to give back what they've taken from society, and to let them out to glimpse the world they have caused themselves to miss out on.

[Jack]

...But really, I am against the death penalty because I believe *that* is what takes you down to their level.

Not if they WANT to die. Then it's just mercy.

[pryjmaty]

WOW! I didn't imagine this kind of response!

Anyway.....me and the death penalty.....i'm quite intimate with it.....my sperm donor faced the justice system over murdering his g/f......i, personally, believe that he should have fried. He didn't.

i have very mixed feelings concerning the death penalty. Yes, i think that ppl should hand in the public square that deserve it. At the same time......reading this, and several other, articles, i realize that the mental torture on a person can be unbearable.

i suppose that my issue with the death penalty in America is that it is so fucking humane. Goddammittt!!!!! The way i see it, if someone does something so bad that the justice system decrees that they get death.....then make it fucking torturous, swift and public!!!!!

No one has any clue how pissed it makes me to know that my sperm donor.....who should have FRIED.....was the very first con in the state of South Dakota to receive a college education at the taxpayers expense!!!!!!! WTF?????? After all the taxpayers money that was spent on that piece of shit, the last i heard of him, he was working as a cook at Mickey D's!!!!! The ONLY reason that fucker didn't get the death penalty is that it was outlawed in the state of South Dakota before the fukker went to trial.

SWIFT, TORTUROUS AND PUBLIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Onibubba]

Personally against capital punishment here, but it is primarily an economic factor. The cost of execution vs life imprisonment can run into the millions in excess.

There are a lot of things that I think need serious reevaluation in the US and our prison systems are one of them. Just my two cents worth, but there should be institutions for violent repeat offenders that offer no opportunity of parole - they excise the offender from society period. Then there should be institutions for criminals where rehabilitation and the return to society is the goal. I can't help but think that the distinction between the two needs to be made in relation to violence and danger to society as opposed to number of offences.

[Bone]

Much as I want to go with iblis on the hi plan for capital punishment, the problem is, it doesn't create a deterant for crime.
The return to the roman gladiator fights does have its appeal you wanna live till next month.... be the last man standing.... sorry no pardons, but you get another month of life.
Its just that too many sickos would WANT to be on that program for the fame.... *sigh* Look ma I'm on TV! Aren't you proud!

Therein lies my whole problem with capitol punishment and the legal system. I am not blood thirsty for revenge on anyone at this time, however a punishment MUST fit the crime to be a deterant for doing the crime. A death sentance doesn't mean anything if it sin't carried out. Life in prison with a chance of parol in 15 years w/ good behaviour is not a very fitting punishment for the crime.... nor is sitting in a jail cell for the rest of your life. IMHO - it "should" work something like this....
Your convicted..... you get 2 appeals..... You die in a manner equivilent to your victems death. None of this put em to sleep humane crap.
For a punishment to be a deterant against a crime. THe punishment MUST have teeth.
Ya know you just might see a down turn in murder rates if we quit coddeling the murders.

To the original point of the thread.... If they are on death row and want to die...Let em! As Whitedarkness said earlier... bullets are cheap! As sweet as revenge tastes to some... I don't want it coming outta my paycheck.

[Dewey C. Howe]

funny this thread should show up, just as I am about to kick off my Dewey C. Howe for President 2008 campaign.

Part of my platform to save So-So Security and reduce prison overcrowding all at the same time. My plan is to impliment a Gladiator Pay Per View progam using Federal Death Row Inmates. We will be working on the "Battle Royal" philosophy. The battles will take place on a deserted island. Inmates will be outfitted with explosive collars/ tracking devices. They have 48 hours to kill all the rest of the inmates. If in 48 hours there is more than 1 inmate alive... all collars detonate killing EVERYONE! Try and leave the boundaries of the island and the collar will detonate. Inmates will be given random packs with food, water, a map, and various items and or wepons to help them survive.
Inmates will be released onto the island at 5 minute intervals.
There will be un-announced danger zones with Webcam kill sites. Internet users at home can for a substantial fee (reduced if you are the family member of a compeating criminals victom) shoot at inmates via web controlled gun. There will be regularly announced changing blackout areas. Spend more than 5 minutes in a blackout area and you collar detontates.
The Sole Survivour at the end of the Battle will go on to compeate the next month. If an Inmate survives 6 events, they are deemed worthy of life in prison, and will have to compeate no more.

The revenue from this event should keep Social Security & Medicare going well into the next century!

Thank you for your time and remeber:
Set the Country Straight
Vote for Dewey C. Howe in 2008!

[Hardcoregirl]

Personally against capital punishment here, but it is primarily an economic factor. The cost of execution vs life imprisonment can run into the millions in excess.

.

Yeah, I think Jack said its more expensive to keep people in prison, but I'm pretty sure the death penalty, the execution itself, appeals, etc, costs a lot more...I've had trouble finding the info to back this up, but...here's some, actually a TN Study!

from http://www.deathpenalty.org

$ Tennessee Study Finds Death penalty Costly, Ineffective
A new report released by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury recommended changes to the stateÕs costly death penalty and called into question its effectiveness in preventing crime. The Office of Research noted that it lacked sufficient data to accurately account for the total cost of capital trials, stating that because cost and time records were not maintained, the Office of Research was unable to determine the total, comprehensive cost of the death penalty in Tennessee." Although noting that, "no reliable data exists concerning the cost of prosecution or defense of first-degree murder cases in Tennessee," the report concluded that capital murder trials are longer and more expensive at every step compared to other murder trials. In fact, the available data indicated that in capital trials, taxpayers pay half again as much as murder cases in which prosecutors seek prison terms rather than the death penalty. Findings in the report include the following:

* Death penalty trials cost an average of 48% more than the average cost of trials in which prosecutors seek life imprisonment.
* Tennessee District Attorneys General are not consistent in their pursuit of the death penalty.
* Surveys and interviews of district attorneys indicate that some prosecutors "use the death penalty as a 'bargaining chip' to secure plea bargains for lesser sentences."
* Previous research provides no clear indication whether the death penalty acts as a method of crime prevention.
* The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals reversed 29 percent of capital cases on direct appeal.
* Although any traumatic trial may cause stress and pain for jurors, the victims' family, and the defendant's family, the pressure may be at its peak during death penalty trials.

(July 2004)
Read the The Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury Office of Research's Report, "Tennessee's Death Penalty: Costs and Consequences."

Read the The Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury Office of Research's Report, "Tennessee's Death Penalty: Costs and Consequences."

Plus, when you think about how many people have been found to be innocent after death due to DNA evidence, etc....

I just don't think its our right to take anyone's life for any reason...and before someone says, "well, what if they killed your son?" Well, I might kill them myself but I don't think its right for me to do OR for the government to....

[Melicious Scam]

I support the death penality.
however, I don't support all the innocent people who are killed. You would think that will all the new high tech ways of figuring out "who done it", that they couldn't convict the wrong guy.
It makes me wonder if it is really worth killing them at all, convicted or not.

[Jack]

I am not blood thirsty for revenge on anyone at this time, however a punishment MUST fit the crime to be a deterant for doing the crime. A death sentance doesn't mean anything if it sin't carried out. Life in prison with a chance of parol in 15 years w/ good behaviour is not a very fitting punishment for the crime.... nor is sitting in a jail cell for the rest of your life.

ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?! I'm pretty sure that, unless Hell is literally real, being dead is a LOT less torturous than being in jail!

[The Stormstress]

If u r worried about the innocent (assuming they even xist) being punished, then ur concernz should prolly b with the judicial system moreso than death row issuez.

[Bone]

I am not blood thirsty for revenge on anyone at this time, however a punishment MUST fit the crime to be a deterant for doing the crime. A death sentance doesn't mean anything if it sin't carried out. Life in prison with a chance of parol in 15 years w/ good behaviour is not a very fitting punishment for the crime.... nor is sitting in a jail cell for the rest of your life.

ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?! I'm pretty sure that, unless Hell is literally real, being dead is a LOT less torturous than being in jail!

I never said that it was more or less torturous.
That becomes a matter of theological beliefs.
However I believe most people would feel that death is THE extreme penalty... Given a choice of life in prison or death. I would bet something like 99.5% of people would say give me life in prison.
It is in our instincts to survive. Thus the death penalty if USED and not just threatened becomes a stronger deturant from criminal acts.
I make no claims that they would be more or less tortured in life or death... just that death is the greatest punishment available as a criminal deturant.... unless the crime is attempted suicide

Please note too: my personnal ideas of a proper execution are FAR from swift, painless or humane....

[Jack]

Given a choice of life in prison or death. I would bet something like 99.5% of people would say give me life in prison.

That makes sense, since 99.5% of people are morons.

[karmakaze]

i think we should find a cheaper way to kill them.

[junkie christ]

i think we should find a cheaper way to kill them.

make them watch julia roberts movies until their brains ooze out their ears and they fucking die.
death by blockbuster, no late fees.

[Melicious Scam]

i think we should find a cheaper way to kill them.

Mass suicide? I mean you could tell them that it was a celebration for some holiday, and have them all drink punch. Punch with a very hard kick to it

[karmakaze]

i think we should find a cheaper way to kill them.

Mass suicide? I mean you could tell them that it was a celebration for some holiday, and have them all drink punch. Punch with a very hard kick to it

or you could just hand that job over to the armed forces. part of boot camp could be to perform an execution.

[Mother Mo]

I am not blood thirsty for revenge on anyone at this time, however a punishment MUST fit the crime to be a deterant for doing the crime. A death sentance doesn't mean anything if it sin't carried out. Life in prison with a chance of parol in 15 years w/ good behaviour is not a very fitting punishment for the crime.... nor is sitting in a jail cell for the rest of your life.

ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?! I'm pretty sure that, unless Hell is literally real, being dead is a LOT less torturous than being in jail!

I think that would fall under the subjective category.

[Jack]

ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?! I'm pretty sure that, unless Hell is literally real, being dead is a LOT less torturous than being in jail!

I think that would fall under the subjective category.

Fair enough, but let's look at the options:

1. When you die, you disappear completely. How can not existing be worse than existing in painful conditions? If you don't exist, you can't regret existing, right?

2. When you die, you reincarnate. How can starting over be worse than living in painful conditions?

3. When you die, you go to heaven.

4. When you die, you go to the land of the dreams. Since it will eventually happen anyway, why choose to live life in painful conditions rather than skipping straight to the punchline?

5. When you die, you go to Hell. I think this is very unlikely, but if by some chance it were true, then yes, living on death row would be better than Hell, I'll grant you.

[karmakaze]

5. When you die, you go to Hell. I think this is very unlikely, but if by some chance it were true, then yes, living on death row would be better than Hell, I'll grant you.

but your also doomed from the go at this point so why not just jump straight to the punch line and get it over with? i mean, your going to be stuck burning in hell for all eternity anyway. whats an extra few years?

[Jack]

I like how completely arbitrary the Dumpter-izing of threads has become.