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.

There are not any miscarriages of justice now it’s always proved with DNA in the USA at least - even the appeals process does not exclude the DNA results they have Been proven guilty they look for lack of proper representation by the defence lawyer etc, in the appeals process they never actually plead the innocence of the perpetrator as the DNA evidence is definitive proof of guilt

Utter nonsense. DNA evidence of what? That someone was there? That someone carrying their DNA was there? That DNA happened to be found after the fact, conveniently overlooked the first time? DNA evidence is as susceptible to poor evidence-keeping and poor deduction as any other form of physical evidence.

@DinosaursWouldEatYou you really believe in the death penalty for 10 year old children??

Its also worth considering that juries don't want to be responsible for someone getting the death penalty - in the past that meant people were often convicted of lesser offences, but today isn't there a risk that the CPS would fail to secure convictions even in pretty convincing cases if the jury didn't want the criminal put to death?

I disagree with it. Just one false sentence is one too many. And yes there is always going to be someone who pushes the button, signs the forms etc and condones the premeditated, state sanctioned murder.

And yes there are criminals who don't deserve to breathe the same air as the rest of the human race but that's not justice it's vengeance.

I know it is fiction but I would ask you all to read The Chamber by John Grisham. I was an absolute advocate for the death penalty until I read this. Fiction but very powerful. It changed my viewpoint which really is quite something!
As you were...exits stage left.

I live in the U.S. and am against the death penalty. As others have said, it isn't worth it if even one innocent person is executed. It is also disproportionately used against the poor. People who can actually afford a lawyer (as opposed to a court appointed attorney) fair much better. And here, at least, geography has everything to do with a prisoner's sentence. There are a small handful of states that are very pro-death penalty (Virginia, Texas, Florida), whereas most states don't use it or ever carry it out. So what would get you a life sentence in one state can get you the death sentence in another just 20 miles away over the state line.

Oh yes the American judicial system where money and knowing the right people and the political climate had no impact on what goes on in court

Hollow laugh

Thefemalekeithrichards if you believe that, I have a bridge in London I'd like to sell you.

One person executed who turned out to be innocent is too many. It has happened. It will happen again - because no justice system is 100% perfect, because there are such things as corrupt officials of the law. Look up the case of Peter Kiszko.

haveuheard unfortunately yes, but like I said keep them locked up until they were 18 and then as adults. Because where are they now? New identities and ones a paedophile in jail for the 3rd? Time.....

I cannot fathom how 2 10 year olds did what they did. But I do understand it's a very strong opinion and many people will disagree with me and it's not something I think of lightly.

Murder is wrong, doesn’t matter who is doing it. The death penalty is wrong.

Life in prison is a million times worse than being put to death.

And that is why a life sentence is a better punishment for murderers.
Apart from anything else, there is always the possibility of a miscarriage of justice, and for that reason alone the death penalty is wrong.

If that doesn't persuade you, think about this - when people are executed for murdering someone, the state is effectively using the same crime to punish them. It's a nonsense. You can't have it both ways.

I love true crime and true crime podcasts! Any murderinos on the thread?

I used to be in favour of the death penalty OP, for exactly the reasons you stated. But then I delved further into the true crime topic, and got obsessed for a little while in people locked up when they were innocent. I know this case is in America, but the Central Park Five case chills me to the core. People screamed for the death penalty for those boys, they had their 20s ruined and didn’t even receive compensation until over 10 years after they got out... imagine if Korey Wise (the only one to receive adult sentencing) had received the death penalty. The fact that they were wrongly incarcerated in the first place proves we don’t yet have a 100% reliable method of proving guilt. One more innocent life taken, even if it’s one in a million; is too many.

unfortunately yes, but like I said keep them locked up until they were 18 and then as adults.

Why keep them until 18? If the crime should incur the penalty, it’s a ridiculous fiction to wait until they grow up so you can kill them. If they deserve special consideration because of their age, just give it to them.

I am the parent of a small child and I know I would cheerfully kill anyone who did to my child what they did to James Bulger, but that’s why we don’t let the parents of the victims pick the punishments.

It's simple for me.

Murder is wrong. It doesn't matter whose doing it.

Beyond that....

It's been proven to have no impact on murder rates.

The legal challenges cost more to house a DR inmate than a lifer in prison.

Innocent people have been convicted and sentenced to die. The system is fallible.

The system is stacked against minority groups and the poor. It's not "blind justice" when it comes to who is sentenced to die and who gets a life sentence.

As pp's have mentioned many advocates for the DP who are prepared to "flip the switch" have been mentally scarred by their experience to the point of refuting the system. Just how many more victims to a crime should we create (even if they were willing participants at the time)?

Of course there are crimes that are unforgivable.

I can understand why families of victims would want to see someone die.

However as a civilised society we have to reign in our desire for revenge and offer justice instead.

A life behind bars with no possible parole is a "just" sentence for the worst crimes.

Death penalty case costs were counted through to execution (median cost $1.26 million). Non-death penalty case costs were counted through to the end of incarceration (median cost $740,000)

Interesting that in America, it costs more to execute an inmate than to incarcerate them.

I'm in two minds about it, personally. I can see both arguments - possibly lean on the supportive side when it comes to child murderer cases.

Good subject! I always feel hatred towards people who have caused harm to children and want them dead. On the other hand I always recall when they showed sadam shuffling to the noose o the news it made me feel sick even though he was evil. Do we have a right to take someone's life?

I agree totally with NoBaggyPants. Why does this keep coming up when actually we have knottier, and more difficult issues deserving of our attention. The Right To Die bill keeps failing. Why is that?

Yet the media keeps whipping up a clueless public to play judge, jury and executioner.

The link to the HMP Nottingham is yet more 'media' to palpate and titivate the salivating masses who live to judge based on what a biased article presents. I spend quite a bit of time visiting prisons for work and they're truly eye-opening.

If we don't rehabilitate then what's the point of it all?

I don't want to live in a country where the death penalty exists. Not at all. Too many errors and 'an eye for an eye' doesn't even make sense because, where would it ever end? It wouldn't.

OP, you're being a bit salacious but I don't blame you. Those channels were designed for people like you.

I write to a death row prisoner in the US. His crimes were horrendous and were committed whilst he was on drugs. He deserves to be jailed for life, but his early life was so horrific that it undoubtedly warped his emotional development. He has been in prison for years now and he says he is a different person to the one who committed the crimes. I do not think he should be released, but I do not think he should be killed either.

I believe that every life has value and that the state does not have the right to commit murder (although I support euthanasia and assisted dying). In addition, black males are disproportionately represented on death row and there is undoubtedly a race and poverty link to being sentenced to death in the US.

I don’t believe in the death penalty, I do believe that the full sentence should be served, no time off for good behaviour, and they should not have such a sift time that they seem to, tv etc etc. They should go out, perhaps similar to the old chain gangs, they can do litter picking etc and give back to society that way.

The death penalty is wrong in my opinion. However, if one of my children were murdered I know that I would not be the right person to ask.

I think as humans, we need forgiveness and hope and the death penalty prevents this. You often see death row prisoners are fairly young and might have been on death row for 20 years. Surely knowing they are to die for 20 years is a tough punishment alone. I wonder what they would do with a second chance at life in their 40s or 50s

I'm starting to come round to the idea, to be honest.
Not as a punishment or because they deserve it, but because some individuals are so destructive and toxic that society deserves to be protected from them. They should be put down in a humane manner, sometimes thats just the best solution.

yes, but like I said keep them locked up until they were 18 and then as adults. Because where are they now? New identities and ones a paedophile in jail for the 3rd? Time.....

State sanctioned killing of ten year olds? I've read some grim things in my time but that takes the fucking biscuit.

But prisoners cost a fortune

Feckless fuckwits cost a fortune too. So let's just have a mass execution and get rid of all our problems in one go

They should be put down in a humane manner, sometimes thats just the best solution

Not in my view, it isn't.

I think some people are beyond rehabilitation, and the world is better off without them.

I wouldn’t actively campaign to have the death penalty restored, but if it were and were applied to someone like Ian Huntley, I wouldn’t care and would probably think “too right”.

I used to think yes to the death penalty. A life for a life but then I changed my mind. What about miscarriage of justice? We've proven more and more that it happens and that evidence isn't always reliable and that there are corrupt people working for law enforcement. Murder is murder regardless and what makes the person administering the lethal injection better than the person they are doing it to? Not to mention the family of the criminals, why should they suffer because of what their relative did? Just adding more grief into the world.