Would You Bring Back The Death Penalty ?

denise t

I always believed in the abolishment of the death penalty, however, I have changed my opinion. Forensic science these days and with the introduction of DNA analysis, it is rare that mistakes are made. Where there is absolutely no room for doubt when a person has committed a murder I now believe in the death penalty. I fear that we will go on having murders daily in the newspapers as the culprits have no fear for their own necks anymore. They are mollycoddled in jail, our jails are overcrowded and the justice system is breaking down. When I was a child one rarely heard of a murder, in fact, when one did occur the headlines in the papers screamed of it because it was so unusual, why, because there was the death penalty, what do these knife carriers have to worry about nowadays, perhaps a short spell in prison, life is considered to be cheap by these criminals now and having tried the soft option for years and the crime rate soaring I feel we have to go back to the ultimate sentence, the death penalty.

alan h

No. The murder rate is higher in societies that do, very often (Compare USA with UK)

What do you do if you make a mistake?

Ashley C

i dont think there should be a death penalty.
but if murder is committed or some other vulgar act, i think life imprisonment is a justified punishment, because they will have to suffer in jail for the rest of their life

the swanky bastard!

no that doesnt work where it is legal! we need tougher sentences and tougher prisons!

So_This_Is_It?

It has been proven over and over again that the death penalty does nothing to reduce violent crime

The last man to be executed in the UK was innocent - Timothy Evans - and that is one of the reasons the UK is more civilised, now, than the USA.

You can't use killing to condemn killing

Firebird

NO

The death penalty is evil and certainly not a deterrent

Two wrongs don't make a right!

LAgirl

i think life in prison is much harder punishment. Most people would rather die than live there forever, so its like doing them a favor in a weird way. I dont agree. I dont think anybody should take anybody elses life.

nonof y

Never. There are many wrongly imprisoned people.

Doshie

Nah, I wouldnt.
Firstly theres always the percentage of people who are wrongly accused (you do hear of people who get sent to prison and then new evidence crops up and the real culprit gets caught), and also, as twisted as it sounds, being in a horrible prison for years on end is much more a punishment than death.
By "horrible prison" I mean none of this having a telly in thier rooms and internet acess, I mean solitary confindment, the bare essentials, and "life sentence" meaning till they die.
That kinda torture is far worse than death, and for murderers and rapists and the like, I reckon its just

Monocrow

That some people THINK their answer is to carry a knife and use it-what is a government which would use the same threat to solve' the same problem?

Always Breezy

look, capitol punishment is the easy way out for any criminal. it's not them your hurting, it's there family's! added to the fact that killing them is the most hypocritical you can get! young people who kill need serious phyciactric care, not the electric chair treatment. i understand the thinking that the threat of death should ward of young criminals, but the truth is most of these acts aren't planned and nobody thinks theyll get caught when they do it! ultimatley i disgaree with capitol punishment

Helmstok

I would not bring back the death penalty as a way of contributing to our slow but steady evolution into enlightenment.

Susan S

No. As bad as this is, the statistics are worse in the US. People in Britain should take a look at the American experience with the death penalty and alternatives. Sources below:

The death penalty doesn't prevent others from committing murder. No reliable study shows the death penalty deters others. Homicide rates are higher in states and regions that have it than in those that donâ€™t.

Life without parole, on the books in 48 states, also prevents reoffending. It means what it says, and spending 23 of 24 hours a day locked in a tiny cell is not a picnic. Life without parole costs less than the death penalty.

The death penalty is much more expensive than life in prison, mostly because of the upfront costs of legal process which is supposed to prevent executions of innocent people. (upfront=before and during the initial trial)

The death penalty isn't reserved for the worst crimes, but for defendants with the worst lawyers. It doesn't apply to people with money. When is the last time a wealthy person was on death row, let alone executed?

129 people on death rows have been released with proof that they were wrongfully convicted. DNA, available in less than 10% of all homicides, canâ€™t guarantee we wonâ€™t execute innocent people.

The death penalty doesn't necessarily help families of murder victims. Murder victim family members have testified that the drawn-out death penalty process is painful for them and that life without parole is an appropriate alternative.

Problems with speeding up the process. Over 50 of the innocent people released from death row had already served over a decade. Speed up the process and we will execute innocent people.

Sources:

Death Penalty Information Center, www.deathpenaltyinfo.org, for stats on executions, reports on costs, deterrence studies, links to FBI crime stats and links to testimony (at state legislatures) of victims' family members.

FBI http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2006/data/table_04.html

The Innocence Project, www.innocenceproject.org

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/COcosttestimony.pdf page 3 and 4 on why the death penalty is so expensive

http://www.njadp.org/forms/signon-survivor.html for statements of victimsâ€™ families

robert c

YES!

Gary L

In the words of that dog off the box "Oh Yes"!

I never used to believe in the death penalty, but since working closely with criminals I can honestly say that if a court can prove guilt 100% then yes, we should bring back the death penalty.

If not proven 100%, then commit the sentence to natural life (meaning life) until such time as it can/or not be proven.

I agree with the do gooders, when they say it does not stop this type of crime. However, it does make someone think that if they are caught they will suffer death, and it certainly means that the offender will never repeat his/her crime.

I also think that the carrying of weapons should carry a mandatory 7 years for the 1st offence, 20 years for a second (no early release). Those sentences should be doubled if the weapon is shown/used.

BOFF

Yes ,its time to thin out the over crowded jails, life should mean life!!!!!!!!!!!!

Psychodelic Chicken

yes I think it should be - for murderers and paedophiles.
however it does worry me as there are numerous wrongly imprisoned people currently locked up, so i think it should be only in cases where the evidence is absolutely solid i.e. DNA evidence as opposed to eye witness testimony.

tiller

We've still got it it, but now it's innocent people who are being
put to death - by scumbags who should have strangled at birth.

lynsey M

I do think the death penalty should be brought back! Although do-gooders do protest, they should imagine the situation of the loved ones that have lost someone. Prison is a joke, they have an easier life than the rest of us, i mean look at Ian huntley he has a tv and computer console in his cell its a joke! look what he did! life in prison is the easy way out, death to me is the only answer a life for a life! But it must be proven that they commited the crime! xx

wolf

yes

Mr Cynical

i think it could be brought back for some crimes when the evidence is there to ensure that no mistake is made. as an ex prison officer i know that prison is not the answer for most people especially the way things are going.prisons are becoming holiday camps for career criminals.

researcher

Yes without a doubt.
Oh I see we have a lot of the "PC"/"Human Rights" brigade answering and marking this question.
I bet these same people complain about the amount of taxes we pay to keep these murdering thugs in an environment that is so comfortable that today's prisoners want to stay in and not escape even when the doors are left open for them.
Can you justify spending thousands of pounds p/a to keep some of these child rapists and murderers safe and warm.
Get a life.

Chief

I definitely favor the death penalty. It is an obvious deterrent to repeat crimes, don't you think?

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: