The Death Penalty

[IndieSinger]

Come on then, let's have it. Should it be re-instated? Is it a worthy punishment in some cases, or does it give martyrs an 'easy way out'?

[headlesspets]

state sanctioned murder, doesn't work as a deterrent, look at America etc ding ding! round one

[apricot]

Too many mistakes have been made.

[andy hughes]

I don't think it is ever a 'punishment', it is always revenge. Stats show that U.S. states with the death penalty, have higher incidences of murder than those without, which is a pretty powerful disincentive, unless you want to appeal to the revenge gene in all of us, which is what makes the concept of execution a viable option in some areas of the world.

[nedflanders]

IMO Yes it should as it may reduce our tax bill and I honestly believe it would reduce premeditated murders. The system would have to be fullproof though i.e. 50 witnesses or unmistakable Forensic evidence. I would hang the compensation lawyers first though followed by the politicians !

[pezza.......]

I think the death penalty does need to be reintroduced but only if there is cast iron forensic evidence.

[JohnPPotts]

Leaving aside the moral arguments, if you look at America you see that those executed are over-whelmingly poor (and usually black) - the rich can afford lawyers to make sure they get off with a lighter sentence, so the effect would be highly inequitable (although I should say that I am personally against it even if it were handed out absolutely evenly between rich and poor).

[banana]

My personal favourite way of dealing with hypothetical violent convicts would
be..

to endow them with some sort of physical disablement such as

Blindness

or

Paralysis of limbs

This is so that they could be prevented from carrying out further violence (
the punishment to fit the crime in that a rapist would be blinded -a thug
paralysed etc) but would be left to the tender mercies of society.

I know this is a simplistic view and would never work in real life -but I
still have a little hope that it would come to pass one day.

[vittoria]

I agree with Andy Hughes

[flirty41]

I think the death penalty is the easy option - after all, once you're dead, you're dead. So where's the suffering - you're not missing out on anything. The only way it could be a punishment is if the criminal has any sort of conscience, and would be worried about the loss his/her family would feel if s/he was put to death. No, I think the answer is to give a life sentence, which *means* life, and that the criminal's life should be made as miserable as it can be. No comforts, no perks, no treats, no promise of ever getting out etc etc.

[Korel]

My inkling is to reject the death penalty but until they start making the prison system alot more tough and scary for criminals i've got to say hang `em high

[Dacetine]

An eye for an eye etc seems perfectly fair but relies on the ideal state where the legal system is perfect or else mistakes will be made. Personally I'm not into "punishing" wrong-doers but would far rather they could be helped to stop re-offending in future.

[Scamp]

"An eye for an eye makes the world go blind" - As famously quoted by Gandhi.

[pamnez]

I said to a pal of mine that hanging should be brought back. She asked me that if my son was found guilty of murder, would I want him hanged or would I rather visit him in jail for 25 years. I chose the latter. She said that I don't believe in hanging as I can't have one law for my son and a different one for other murderers.

[stevie21]

A nasty cold way of looking at it is that it would cut crime by stopping reoffending and reduce the burden on taxpayers by removing the need to pay for criminals' food and board for 25 years. Would this be offset by the cost of appeals etc?? - who knows.

For certain crimes and with cast iron evidence I would possibly back it but only after ALL of the available info from places like the USA was considered.

If at all possible, a guaranteed method of rehabilitation, no matter how expensive, would be much preferred