What is your opinion on the death penalty?

I know this is something that everyone has there opinions about. But in your opinion do you think that people can be rehabilitated and do alot better for them selfs. Do you think they actually learn there lessons and become better people. I work at the jail and I see alot of the same inmates come and go. I also know that it's our taxes pay to house these inmates to where we can be putting it to better uses as far as teaching our children or recreation area's to keep our youth off the street. If you don't belive in the death penelty what are your suggestions of on solving the problems...

What is your opinion on the death penalty?
You don't have to condone brutal crimes or want the criminals who commit them to avoid a harsh punishment to ask whether the death penalty prevents or even reduces crime and whether it risks killing innocent people. Here are a few faqs about the death penalty system and a good alternative with sources.





What about the risk of executing innocent people?


124 people on death rows have been released with evidence of their innocence.





Doesn't DNA keep new cases like these from happening?


DNA is available in less than 10% of all homicides and can’t guarantee we won’t execute innocent people.





Doesn't the death penalty prevent others from committing murder?


No reputable study shows the death penalty to be a deterrent. To be a deterrent a punishment must be sure and swift. The death penalty is neither. Homicide rates are higher in states and regions that have it than in states that do not.





So, what are the alternatives?


Life without parole is now on the books in 48 states. It means what it says. It is sure and swift and rarely appealed. Life without parole is less expensive than the death penalty.





But isn't the death penalty cheaper than keeping criminals in prison?


The death penalty costs much more than life in prison, mostly because of the legal process which is supposed to prevent executions of innocent people. (You suggested putting some of the money spent on the death penalty to different uses- including recreation, education. I think that some should be spent on better victims' services.)





What about the very worst crimes?


The death penalty isn’t reserved for the “worst of the worst,” but rather for defendants with the worst lawyers. When is the last time a wealthy person was sentenced to death, let alone executed??





Doesn't the death penalty help families of murder victims?


Not necessarily. Murder victim family members across the country argue that the drawn-out death penalty process is painful for them and that life without parole is an appropriate alternative.





So, why don't we speed up the process?


Over 50 of the innocent people released from death row had already served over a decade. If the process is speeded up we are sure to execute an innocent person.
Reply:It is the general consensus that Americans are religious people. I don't believe in the death penalty for persons who kill because death is guaranteed but the way in which a person may loose their life is not.





I don't think that a jury should be able to decide whether or not a person lives because the jury is sometimes biased even though they don't admit it during selection.





Besides, it's just wrong. But, on the other hand, if he should rape he should die because he has brought shame upon her, and shame is worst than death
Reply:Enforce it. Expand it. I personally support having public executions, on the evening news (as required by law), so that people see what happens to knuckleheads who harm others needlessly.





It cuts down on taxes required to be paid by those of us who are decent. It eliminates stupid people from the gene pool. And it saves us from the possibility of that idiot being released back into the general population.





Anyone who is against the death penalty is soft on crime. We are a nation of laws and to allow criminals to get off the hook only sends that message that "you too, can get away with crime."





I once saw a sign in someone's yard in central Indiana. It read "trespass and you will die." I got the message and just kept driving.
Reply:First of all it costs more to put an inmate to death then to leave him in jail his whole life. When an inmate gets the death sentence there is an automatic appeals process which backs up the court rooms and costs millions...and it takes 8-15 years to finally put the inmate down anyways. Personally think it is OK for inmates to be killed if it is 100 percent certain they committed a horrible crime. An example is Charles Manson...we know he killed people so killing him is OK. For someone like Scott Peterson he was found guilty but we arent 100 percent sure so I think he shuldnt be killed but just stay in jail.
Reply:Yep, eye for an eye. And molesters should have their pee pee chopped off or sewn up, whichever part fits the bill...
Reply:The idealistic side of my brain says it is not up to us to decide when people should die and that everyone deserves a chance to be rehabilitated. The realistic side of my brain says they'd have to raise our taxes 500% to afford all the treatments necessary to rehabilitate the worst offenders, which would never happen so it's better to let them die. It's a tough issue.
Reply:I do not believe in it as a Catholic.





However, I do believe that the people do have a right to create it as law under the Federal Constitution. Further, I do not believe that any current form of execution is cruel or unusual.





I do believe that if you are going to have a law, it should be enforced. I beleive that sentencing should be taken out of the hands of judges and juries in cases of the death penalty so as to make sure that the penalty is applied equally under the law, no matter the persons race (it is not now).





If you need to negociate to reduce a sentence to life, etc., you can accomplish as much with a writ from the governor.





I think if someone is going to be convicted of the crime, and sentenced to death, though I do not agree with the law, that law should be executed quickly, as should the prisioner.
Reply:Deport them to a 3rd world country. if they sneck back kill them within 10 days of arrest
Reply:A dead person commits no other crimes. I think it should be expanded to include drug dealers and child molesters.
Reply:Eye for an eye





It really is that simple.








If you have no regard for a human and you kill them then we should have no regard for that persons life.








A dead man can not get out on parole and kill again.
Reply:I don't believe in the death penalty but not for the reasons most people don't. I firmly believe that death is not a punishment for anyone, a dead person cannot think, feel pain, much less regret. Sadly, thanks to thoughtless twits like the ones at the ACLU, it's the only kind of actual punishment for murderers. In my opinion, premeditated murders should be punished by solitary confinement for life, no visitors allowed, but the ACLU will say that it's a cruel, so let's keep with capital punishment as the second best.
Reply:thats such an old issue. All civilized countries abolished the death penalty long ago, its barbaric.
Reply:As bad as I would hate to end the life of another, we have to have teh death penalty. serial murderers, serial rapists, criminals committing disgusting crimes and terrorists are not ordinary people. trying to spiritually save them is a good cause, but it doesnt happen much. Some people walk down teh wrong path and dont ever want to try walking a different path. What can you do? We have to be tough on crime.
Reply:In favor, My only wish is that once a person is proven guilty, that they wouldn't continue to suck up valuable resources and stay in prison for 30 years on death row.
Reply:In my country although we have death penalty,our government is very careful to impose it because of many criticism from different sectors.But for me,it is better to hold them in a recretional or jail and give them time to repent and change.We are not God and we are not in the position to condemn others even on the most evil person.And even the baddest person has a right to live and change.And if they are locked in that place thay have the time to realize their mistakes and the value of life.
Reply:Yes I support the death penalty. I think criminals are getting away easy and there should be tougher punishments.





Our deviations from God's laws are only causing an increase in crime.
Reply:Anyone who says they are against the death penalty is pro-criminal. They're basically saying that a person who decided to play God and arbitrarily kill someone else has more of a right to life than the victim they killed, and that's completely backwards. The truth of the matter is the vast majority of murderers get life in prison in states that don't have the death penalty, and it has also been proven time and time again that rehabilitation doesn't work for violent criminals. Murderers, rapists, and pedophiles don't "get better." The death penalty should be mandatory for premeditated murder and murder of a law enforcement officer in the line of duty -- whether you knew that person was a law enforcement officer or not.
Reply:Yes, I believe in the death penalty. Jesus accepted his fate so how do we excuse the guilty.





Repeat offenders are usually going to continue in their corrupt ways. It is rare indeed that someone truly changes their ways.





Maybe the three strikes and your out law should be modified in some way to become three vioent strikes and you are dead!
Reply:use it more pedaphiles and multiple rapist also use it for elderly severe criminals strong armed robbery and things of this nature
Reply:I say take them to an airport, have their survival bags packed and drop them off in the middle of the war and then see how tough they are!! This goes for drug dealers, child molesters, wife/husband beaters, rapists. If some one is to die then let it be by their own hand, not someone else. Trust me if they want to live let them fight for their life!!!!