Things like this ALMOST make me believe in the death penalty-discusting beyond belief

[Garth Vader]

If you have so little respect for the rules of society I don't see why society should go to great expense to keep you alive for years, while getting nothing in return.

Tap them in the back of the head and quickly.

[Urban Ranger]

I disagree. Capital punishment is not a deterrent simply because these "hard core murderers" never expect to be caught. Furthermore, if you put killers on the death row, then once somebody start killing, he won't stop. There's no difference between killing 1 and 1000.

[SlowwHand]

Right. 1 is the same as 1000. Good thinking.

The contribution potential is 1000 times more loss.
The families are 1000 times increased.

Besides that, except for a crime of passion, a murderer isn't going to kill once only; any more than a thief will steal once only.

[Lorizael]

Murders in prison may not be rare, but they don't happen often. Just as prisoners may sometimes escape, but it almost never happens if you look at the statistics.

I'd rather have the chance that a person could become a better person. Right now, however, our prisons aren't equipped for rehabilitation. They're just designed to keep the prisoners occupied.

For all those in favor of the death penalty, if prisons were designed with rehabilitation in mind, would you change your mind on the death penalty?

[SlowwHand]

Do you know anyone in prison, or is this more uninformed opinion?

[Lorizael]

I don't see why my personal knowledge of someone in prison would hold any weight here. Anecdotal evidence means nothing in a debate.

What unsubstantiated claimes have I made, however? Point them out and I'll try to find statistics for you.

[DinoDoc]

This would, however, take care of the criminals as well, and their deaths could not be directly attributable to the state.

What makes you think that?

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
I disagree. Capital punishment is not a deterrent simply because these "hard core murderers" never expect to be caught. Furthermore, if you put killers on the death row, then once somebody start killing, he won't stop. There's no difference between killing 1 and 1000.

I agree with you that it's not a deterrent, - useless sacks of **** like these four don't have the brains to understand anything that complex, even instinctively. They simply don't care.

Fry 'em anyway. The reason is that nobody in their right mind is ever going to conclude these *******s are safe to release back into society, so you get to pay for 50-60 years to support utter wastes of DNA who are also contributing to global warming, for no benefit.

Lorizael - I'm in favor of a strong focus on rehabilitation, for first time offenders in relatively non-serious crimes. There are some crimes, and some inmates, where that is simply not a useful option. So what happens if a "rehabilitated" murderer is simply a skilled sociopath who figures out what shrinks and parole boards want to hear? If John Wayne Gacy had gradually "seen the light" so to speak, would you want him as your neighbor?

[Velociryx]

Yep....but me down in the pro capital punishment category. These guys are messed UP!

I got a great idea! Let's kill whatsherface's boyfriend, take his money, and get stoned!--GROUP HUG!!!!

-=Vel=-
(would you like a burger with that fry?)

[Lorizael]

The unfortunate problem with my stance on the death penalty is that we don't yet know enough about human psychology to truly rehabilitate a person. *sigh*

I'd still rather they simply sit in prison for the rest of their lives, considering that death penalty cases usually cost more than supporting someone on a life sentence. The legal costs associated with a death penalty case, iirc, make them very, very costly ordeals; all the appeals and such.

And in prison, they can make license plates or something, and that's useful.

[rah]

While I'm sure it's not a deterrent to the hard core's, I did read some interviews with some inmates that had been caught using fake guns for their robbery. When asked why they used a fake gun, they said it was to insure a lesser punishiment if caught. NO PEOPLE WERE KILLED in any of those robberies. (this was many many years ago) but it leads me to believe that capital punishment can reduce some murders.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Albert Speer
FrustratedPoet,

can a cold blood murderor be rehabilitated though? yeah you can rehabilitate a mugger or a drug dealer or a car jacker... but a murderor?

There are plenty of examples of people who have committed murders and have been rehabilitated, although they are not the norm.

The problem is that we have a system that doesn't rehabilitate. To have such a system, and then point to the murderers who aren't rehabilitated as evidence that rehabilitation doesn't work is circular to the extreme, and certainly a piss-poor rationale for executing them.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by DinoDoc

This would, however, take care of the criminals as well, and their deaths could not be directly attributable to the state.

What makes you think that?

The state would not be the ones killing the inmates, that's why.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
The state would not be the ones killing the inmates, that's why.

What's the difference between that and leaving them somewhere to die, as you suggest?

[Jac de Molay]

Life, no parole, in complete solitary confinement. One hour per week exercise allowed. One shower per week No books. No TV.

A better deterrent, Imo