To ask what you think of the death penalty? (Don’t open if you don’t like talking about death and crime)

[Chancewouldbeafinethlng]

I listened to Adam Buxtons newest podcast episode and found it very interesting.
I’m not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand there are some criminals who I would not piss on if they were on fire, I think they really deserve to die. But then there is always going to be a person who’s job it is to kill that person.
Also there is the risk that someone has been falsely accused and maybe not had a fair trial. How would you ever know?

The episode touched on the method used currently for the death penalty. The woman who was talking was saying how unreliable it is and is basically torture if it doesn’t work. What other methods could be used though?

Sorry I know it’s a very morbid subject but I would be interested in hearing other people’s opinions.

Would it not be kinder to to the killer to be put out of their misery.
One would have to be pretty miserable & twisted to have the intent & plan to murder a child or adult & commit that crime in cold blood just for the sheer hell of it.
Execution would be the kindest punishment.

No to death penalty.
It is legalised murder.
I believe people need to realise and then learn to live with what they have done. You can't do that if someone just kills you when the paperwork has been complete.

It's also a punishment to the criminal's family who are entirely innocent.

Well the murderer should have thought about that, the punishment to their own family, shouldn't they.

I work in the justice system, and professionally i could never support the implementation of a death penalty (as tempting as it seems for some cases - and I don't for one second believe that all offenders can be rehabilitated). I would personally much rather see an offender punished as harshly as possible for as long as possible, particularly for the most serious violent and sexual crimes. I believe that those serving longer term sentences in custody should be put to better use rather than sitting in cells. I do think that our justice system requires huge overhaul, but there is no hard and fast solution to it - there is simply not enough money, not enough prison places etc etc.

Some information for those saying yes.

www.innocenceproject.org/all-cases/

You can filter for death penalty if you really want.

I’m a criminal barrister. Was once involved in a death row case (Privy Council a case from Caribbean).
I am fundamentally opposed to the death penalty. Wrongful convictions are not uncommon, are increasing and affect black people at a discriminatory level (deeply institutional societal discrimination).
More than that even if that weren’t enough. Much more than that - what happens to us as society if we simply kill those who have ‘transgressed’. Very few are ‘evil’ it’s incredibly rare for it to be as simple as that.

In my opinion the death sentence can never be justified in a civilised society.

Someone has to murder the murderers, that person is just another murderer and it says so much about a country that permits lawful murder.

Not in my name.

Yy HeronLanyon, society will change in a drastic way if we ever brought back the death penalty, there will always be people who do terrible things regardless of what the penalty for that is but wider society will become desensitised to inflicting pain and taking life

We have to be able to treat others as we would want them to treat us.

Well when I become a violent rapist be sure to execute me too then.

Killing anyone is wrong - that's my belief.

I guess this is the difference. I don't believe every human life has inherent value or that killing anyone is wrong.

I think its horrific and absolutely morally wrong. In all circumstances. To me its murder and there is no justification for it at all.

My feelings about it are governed by thinking that you should not ever let the behaviour of another change your moral code and you should never allow yourself to dehumanise another human being. No one is evil, saying that anyone is not worth the effort is a disgusting cop out. We should try to the natural end to help others and to change things. I dont think it benefits anyone in the long run to pretend so done is not human and to wash your hands of them to the point you can justify their murder to yourself.

No one is evil

They very much are.

I beg to disagree about evil when you get the likes of Fred West & Ian Brady.

Some people would do the world a favour if they killed themselves.

I’ve represented many who have committed awful crimes including murder. ‘Evil’ in the way we might be using it here is in my experience astonishingly rare if it exists at all. There is usually mental illness, psychotic or similar etc involved.

" No one is evil, saying that anyone is not worth the effort is a disgusting cop out. We should try to the natural end to help others and to change things. I dont think it benefits anyone in the long run to pretend so done is not human and to wash your hands of them to the point you can justify their murder to yourself."

Are you kidding me ?

For one example, I will tell you now Ian Brady couldn't have been helped after what he did and that is ONE example !!

You are deluded and clueless if you think otherwise

Crikey

People will commit the most awful and at times evil seems the right description of their actions

But saying they are evil or the person is evil takes away responsibility of what they have done after all if they are evil they don’t have any control over their actions

Brady, Hindley, West, Bundy all certainly did as they planned out the attacks and covered up their horrendous crimes

I am sure I will get a lot of disagreement but for a few very horrific criminals such as mass murderers and baby rapist maybe one or two a year at most, I do agree with death penalties. I get frustrated because life never does mean life and some prisoners are released and do a similar crime within weeks. I don't think we should pay tax to basically keep them for free. Life prisoners can get access to education including a free degree whereas students who have not broken the law cannot afford to do a degree as they are so afraid of getting into debt. I don't know how the parents or spouses of people who have been murdered can ever move on with their life knowing the murderer is living, breathing, eating, watching TV, playing snooker, doing a degree etc when their child/spouse can never do anything ever again. Especially as almost all prisoners even murderers are released back into society, so will be free at some point in time to continue living. I know if a person murdered my spouse or children I would want them dead. I am certain in that situation I would be willing to give them a lethal injection myself. I agree that parliament would not hold a referendum on the death penalty because it know the general public would most likely be in favour of it for mass murderers.

Life does Mean life for those who are refused parole.

I don't think people are evil but themselves, but people do evil things. It is their behaviour that is evil.

Too often the panel of experts on parole panel agree a person should be released as they assess no danger to public, and then within weeks of release they commit a similar crime.

caring that’s incredibly rare. Parole is refused routinely for many
Many prisoners.

@caringcarer Although I am staunchly against the death penalty, I understand where you are coming from and feel its a good reflection of why a lot of people do support it. However, the reasons you give such as weak sentencing and problems with the prison system are issues we need to strive to fix and the death penalty will not fix those. I think it is frustration as you mention that makes people say they support it.

When you say you would carry out your sentencing yourself if someone harmed one of your loved ones I also understand but that is why the 'law is reason free from passion'. If we were all able to do things like that there would be a complete break down in society. The law has to be above emotion. The prison system has to be fixed.

The consequences of bringing back the death penalty are just so grave (pardon the pun). Innocent people would die and poor and minority ethnic people would 100% be put to death disproportionately. We must not let it happen

Bloody hell that was long, sorry!