Death penalty for Steve Wright

[Laura Loo]

Following his conviction for the murders of five prostitutes in Ipswich the families of some of the girls call for the reintroduction of the death penalty for crimes such as this.

What do you think?

[Kromovaracun]

There is no 'ultimate deterrent'. There never has been,
even when the penalty was half-hanging followed by
disembowelment, or burning alive

Indeed. One might recall a time in the late C18/early C19 where punishments were dramatically raised and hanging extended to several more crimes. Crime subsequently increased...

[Laura Loo]

Wowsers just logged on i clocked over a hundred answers!

Am quite impressed with myself :)

[susiespider]

Why do so many people think that the death penalty is a worse punishment than life imprisonment? Fred West and Harold Shipman committed suicide in prison, Ian Huntley and Ian Brady have both tried several times. Many others in prison for lesser crimes have killed themselves. Surely that proves that they would have preferred the death penalty.
The death penalty is not a punishment, it is pure vengeance. Understandable perhaps if someone close to you is the victim, but personally I'm totally against it. Even if there is just a possibility of a mistake being made, then it is absolutely wrong, and we all know how many mistakes have been made by this country's legal system.
Can anyone seriously think the death penalty is any kind of deterrent? No-one committing a crime thinks they will be caught, the punishment is irrelevant.

[trakcab]

News
Death penalty for Steve Wright
Why not for for
Tim smith
''Old woman''
ask Elvis
and anyone else involved in his show

[Lonnie]

My main point, not sure if i've said it before, is that apart from the cost of keeping vermin like this alive, once they are dead, there's no chance of them getting out and re-offending.

Surely thats worth taking into consideration.

[persianlady]

A sure way to stop them re-offending is to keep them in prison. A life sentence should be for life....... UNTIL DEAD!

[ShawTee7]

Hanging is whats needed. They offer nothing whatsoever to society and, i, for one, am sick of paying for their cosey existence. Vermin should be exterminated. (humanely, apparantly!)

[tigerlily11]

The death penalty is the easy way out. Thats why the likes of Fred west and Harold Shipman took it.
If the authorities made prison a little more un-appealing it might help but the death penelty has never worked simply because the criminal always, always think he will get away with it.
The human rights brigade need to realise that if people remove the rights of life to others then their rights should be removed and punishment should be reduced to a cold cell, one meal a day, one hours excersise and no visitors.
Give a person enough time to think on their crimes alone and it will be enough to wear them right down.

[tigerlily11]

Sorry I didn't see some of the other posts.
As Susie points out it is vengence and understandable but are we any better than them if we ruduce ourselves to their level by taking their lives?
Everyone wants some one to care and this is why prison as it stands is just wrong. Never seeing their loved ones, being forced into a place where no on cares a damn about you. Dispare is an awlful thing to indure and that in its self is punishment. To be forgotten by the outside world.
I also think the media has a lot to answer for for making programs, films and giving endless paper space to these people. How horrid I thought it was that the media seemed to pander to every word and movement that the likes of Hindley or the Krays ever made.
Stop glamourizing these people and start shutting them up.Report the crime and get as much public help to catch them, then report the virdict but that should be all.
But humans are such a grusome lot really.

[Kromovaracun]

My main point [...] once they are dead, there's no chance of them getting out and re-offending.

Obviously. But if you sentence someone to life (as it looks like Wright will be), there won't be much chance either.

Has Peter Sutcliffe escaped and re-offended? Nope. Did Ian Bradey? No.

Early release in cases like these are pretty unlikely and as for escape: well, I'd be far more inclined to try to escape if I was going to be executed. Wouldn't you?

Vermin should be exterminated. (humanely, apparantly!)

That's the instinctive human reaction - just about every has that gut reaction deep inside (me included). But that's also the exact sentiment that should be kept as far away from the judicial process as physically possible.

[weeal]

I personally believe that a lot of these nasty people learn a lot in jail, and I dont mean good stuff, these murderers/mass murderes are a hero to some in there - and to ones who WILL get out with more sick ideas than they went in with. It just breeds new animals.

[Kromovaracun]

It might make some a better criminal depending on the kind of person. This is not the case, however, with people like Wright - who are often punished by their fellow inmates.

Sutcliffe again is a good example of this: two attempts on his life by fellow inmates (one of which resulted in him losing an eye). So while 'inspiration' is a problem with other types, it very rarely is with people like this.

[andrea81]

Can't read through all posts so sorry if this is a repeat, but I think that absolute guilt should result in the death penalty as it does cost a lot of money to keep an inmate for years like this! If he's not going to ever be released, then what's the point in keeping him alive?

[Lonnie]

My main point [...] once they are dead, there's no chance of them getting out and re-offending.

lets put it another way then Life should mean life, agreed, but it doesn't in this country, does it, and building more prisons isn't the answer,

Either bring back the death penalty, or let them top themselves.

As far as Life meaning Life, anyone remeber Mary Bell?, she was sentenced to prison for the rest of her life.

[badboy78]

not even looked at anyone else's answer's and think he should die horribly alone screaming in pain. and then maybe he'd have atenth of the fear that those poor women had.

[christina81]

death penalty needs to be brought back.These people do these thing and get sent to prison,they cost the system billions of pounds an clogg up prison space...thats why life does not mean life.They cant keep them there forever,theres no room.They let them out and they kill again.If a dog killed someone it would be put to sleep! These crazy people can't be fixed.Get them gone before they do more damage.