For or against?
And if you're for it, to what extent?

I'm on both for the following reasons:

I'm for it because there are some people who deserve to die in this world, besides haven't you heard that if you sentence the convict to either an exact years or life in prison, they'll just either vow revenge and break out again, or fill their blood-lust by killing the prisoner inside. We can't just let them go after their time, otherwise they'll be doing the same thing, so what's the point?

I'm against it because they're some people that actually deserves a second chance, like those who've done major felonies by accident or they just need help. Seeing people being sentenced to death over stuff like killing a group of intruders that are trying to raid your house and either kidnap you or rape you. Even young people are being sentenced to death by major felonies, and I think that's unfair, seeing that they're just kids or young teens, but I believe that the judicial system is being too strict on them.

I couldn't decide on what better, because once you look at it, they're both the same to me in a way.

It's cheaper to imprison them for life.
It's a worse punishment to imprison them for life.
You might kill an innocent person.


The only exception should be treason. Putting heads on pikes is traditional.

I'm for it, simply for the reason that it empties up the prison system and less money is spent on the inmate's food and utilities. I don't give a fuck if it deters crime. I just want them dead, I could give half a shit for "second chances".

To Zed, a single hollow point 9 millimeter bullet is about one dollar. That seems awfully cheap.

In practice it works out as massively more expensive to execute because of all the appeals. Apparently it costs $90,000 more per year per prisoner in California relative to life imprisonment. http://www.deathpenalty.org/article.php?id=42

Quote from Captain Cook

I could give half a shit for "second chances".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om7O0MFkmpw&ob=av3e

I'm against it because of several reasons. First of all, think about how many innocent people will die because of our imperfected judgement systems. And, I don't really get the point - if a prisoner committed an awful crime - create a personal hell for him. If he/she will try to commit suicide - don't let (except of death from starvation).

Neither, I much rather hope for the day that we do not need prisons. I could care less(lol).

I'm against it in all situations, for several reasons.
-There have been murderers given life sentences who have honestly regretted their actions and donate to charity and write books and shit. Just because someone has done a single really bad thing doesn't mean it's impossible for them to ever do anything good.
-Most murders are impulsive. People who kill a single person or a couple almost 100% of the time are doing so because they're under adverse mental or emotional stress. Everyone makes mistakes, but they have a variety of different outcomes, some of which are 'people dying'. I don't think this issue is solved by killing the person who did it.
-Money. Like Zed mentioned earlier, it's cheaper in the long run to just keep someone in prison for several years~the rest of their life.
-If killing people is bad, then how can you solve it by killing even more people? How is it that any one person is so fucking great that they have authority over life and death?
-Contrary to the beliefs of Down Home Southern Boys and distraught families, people can change; murderers can be *reformed*. It's happened before.

I'm against it. The death penalty isn't justice, it's revenge.

This pretty much sums up what I think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVMho2cP1NE

Quote from Captain Cook

I'm for it, simply for the reason that it empties up the prison system and less money is spent on the inmate's food and utilities. I don't give a fuck if it deters crime. I just want them dead, I could give half a shit for "second chances".

To Zed, a single hollow point 9 millimeter bullet is about one dollar. That seems awfully cheap.

Good lord, it's amazing that you actually have this opinion. And like Zed said, it really does cost more to put someone on death row (which most prisoners stay on for a long time) while dealing with the tons of legal procedures/appeals necessary to eventually execute them, than to just put the individual in normal prison for life. I did a report on this shit one time.

better mark this down.

For the first time, in the debate section history,

I'll admit I was wrong and adopt this view. I'm serious. After reading those essays, it makes sense.

And a full day hasn't even passed since you posted this thread.

I think the real problem is with the rehabilitation methods. The reason why there are so many people in prison is because they constantly repeat their bad habits and end up back in prison.

Placing offenders in a prison system with people who have nothing to lose having been sentenced for life isn't going to positively re-socialize them. I heard the U.S. also had private prisons? That just doesn't seem right...

Quote from Captain Cook

better mark this down.

For the first time, in the debate section history,

I'll admit I was wrong and adopt this view. I'm serious. After reading those essays, it makes sense.

Congratulations!

Quote from blacktrilogy

I think the real problem is with the rehabilitation methods. The reason why there are so many people in prison is because they constantly repeat their bad habits and end up back in prison.

Placing offenders in a prison system with people who have nothing to lose having been sentenced for life isn't going to positively re-socialize them. I heard the U.S. also had private prisons? That just doesn't seem right...

I agree. I don't think the United States Justice System is doing a very good job of preventing people from being criminals; this is statistically obvious. I've heard that Norwegian prisons are pretty much rest homes, and their homicide rate is a fifth of the U.S.'s. I don't see any way that you couldn't say those are probably related.

I dislike the idea of being against it on principle, I think it should be there as a last resort kind of thing. As I live in Norway, a life sentence is much much more expensive for the state (because our prisons are really nice to the prisoners, as Fusion said), and for people that obviously can't or wont regret or change, thinking particularly about the massacre in July last year, I think a death penalty could be a good thing to have.

Of course, the system in Norway is pretty weird anyway, a life sentence is actually just 23 years, the only way to keep someone there for life is to put them in isolation, where they'll be considered regularly if they can get out into regular prison/the streets.