Conservatives push for nearly unthinkable death penalty ban

[T.Lex]

Regarding costs: geriatric medical care for inmates is skyrocketing as the prison population ages, medical technology increases lifespans, and prison systems will continue to be required to provide medical care.

There will be a tipping point where it is costlier to maintain inmates than to execute them.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Couple of thoughts:
1) If one were to send a bunch of murderers to a lawless island, where they are likely going to just murder each other anyway (or, at least, the chance of survival is fairly low for any number of reasons), why not hang 'em and bury them here? Shipping them off has the same outcome, one is just attempting to dodge responsibility.
2) Well, we DO have several companies and governments wanting to colonize Mars. Be a good test of the technology. If it works, great. If not, well, we learned something. And, in some cases, we could accidentally over-shoot and hit the Sun (oops).

1.) Doubtful, lawless murderers doesn't = functional idiots. More than likely they'd separate themselves into groups, and create a rudimentary hierarchical govt. Their survival would depend on it. But if you're right, install cameras on the island, and make it PPV.

2.) They knew the risks!

Kut (reminds participation in the program would be voluntary)

 

[eldirector]

Kut (reminds participation in the program would be voluntary)

Well, they did voluntarily commit the crime. Congrats! Your ship leave in an hour!

 

[printcraft]

Couple of thoughts:
1) If one were to send a bunch of murderers to a lawless island, where they are likely going to just murder each other anyway (or, at least, the chance of survival is fairly low for any number of reasons), why not hang 'em and bury them here? Shipping them off has the same outcome, one is just attempting to dodge responsibility.
2) Well, we DO have several companies and governments wanting to colonize Mars. Be a good test of the technology. If it works, great. If not, well, we learned something. And, in some cases, we could accidentally over-shoot and hit the Sun (oops).

The movie wasn't bad.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

But we can still all be for child molesters being "taken cared of" once they get sent to prison, right?

 

[Timjoebillybob]

I read that as we spend too much on these low-lifes. Bring back the gallows and be done with it.

The vast majority of the cost isn't the execution itself.

Bring it all back, we can have public hangings in the town square, keep us entertained.

If they are going to do it, I have no problem with that.

It has never been about whether or not a criminal is deserving of death...we all have that coming.

It has always been about whether or not the government prosecuted and convicted the correct person of the correct crime.

A cage door can be unlocked. A grave cannot be unfilled.

Agreed.

In this case, it seems to be about the money.

If it is about "the correct person", then any cost is worth it.

Part of the money, most likely a majority of it is making sure it's the right person. And there are known cases where they have most likely executed the wrong person.

In the last about 15 years as I have turned against the death penalty, that's what it is about for me.

Perhaps not quite as long ago as you, but I have also and for the same reasons.

Well, that's my prison moon colony plan. Apollo Program tech, some training, and blast them off.

But, is there a place we could use as our Australia? I be all for that, so long as going was voluntarily. But if you're on death row, or have life, why wouldn't you want to do it? Middle of nowhere, Alaska?

A fan of Heinlein by any chance?

And the US has I'm not sure how many uninhabited islands, although iirc a good chunk of them are considered wildlife refuges.

Some people need to be segregated from society. Some need to be segregated from even prison society.

Graves can't be unfilled, but they sure can be filled with prison staff and other inmates.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Silverstein

And it seems they found a solution to keeping them segregated.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Regarding costs: geriatric medical care for inmates is skyrocketing as the prison population ages, medical technology increases lifespans, and prison systems will continue to be required to provide medical care.

There will be a tipping point where it is costlier to maintain inmates than to execute them.

Put them on ObamaCare and let's cost justify continuing that care.

 

[mrjarrell]

It has never been about whether or not a criminal is deserving of death...we all have that coming.

It has always been about whether or not the government prosecuted and convicted the correct person of the correct crime.

A cage door can be unlocked. A grave cannot be unfilled.

Yep, and as we have seen over the past few years there are entirely too many innocent people that have been railroaded into prison and death row. Better safe than sorry.

 

[IndyDave1776]

It has never been about whether or not a criminal is deserving of death...we all have that coming.

It has always been about whether or not the government prosecuted and convicted the correct person of the correct crime.

A cage door can be unlocked. A grave cannot be unfilled.

I will take general agreement with Paul and refine it to addressing that there are two entirely separate questions which need addressed:

1. Do I believe in the death penalty as a matter of principle? Yes

2. Do I trust our government to use it properly? Not 'No', but 'Hell no!'

 

[KLB]

In the last about 15 years as I have turned against the death penalty, that's what it is about for me.

Same here.

I'm OK with it for cases like John Wayne Gacy or Jeffrey Dahmer, where there is absolutely no doubt whether they did it or not though.

 

[seedubs1]

This. The death penalty, considering the lack of accuracy in convictions, is WAY too permanent.

Now.....Someone commits atrocious and unspeakable acts and we know for ABSOLUTE certain that they did it.....I wouldn't be against the death penalty in that case. But our justice system is just not accurate enough at all at this point in time.

It has never been about whether or not a criminal is deserving of death...we all have that coming.

It has always been about whether or not the government prosecuted and convicted the correct person of the correct crime.

A cage door can be unlocked. A grave cannot be unfilled.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

And it seems they found a solution to keeping them segregated.

https://www.texastribune.org/2015/07/15/rookie-tdcj-guard-killed-escorting-violent-inmate/

No charges had been filed against Tracy, who had been housed in a single cell because he is classified as an administrative segregation inmate, Texas' term for solitary confinement.

In 2005, Tracy assaulted another TDCJ employee, which added a 45-year sentence to his 1998 life sentence for aggravated assault and burglary in Rockwall County .

Solitary confinement doesn't equate to complete segregation. Doing so is arguably torture. When asking if we should have the death penalty, one must also look at the alternatives.

 

[indiucky]

Ok, you might have got me on that one...

...and happy Easter!

You too bro...

 

[indiucky]

1.) Doubtful, lawless murderers doesn't = functional idiots. More than likely they'd separate themselves into groups, and create a rudimentary hierarchical govt. Their survival would depend on it. But if you're right, install cameras on the island, and make it PPV.

2.) They knew the risks!

Kut (reminds participation in the program would be voluntary)

You are working on a screenplay aren't you? So what's the name of it going to be???

Death Island...
If you can't do the time...Don't do the crime..."

An beautiful, innocent Latina twenty something is falsely accused of murder and sent to an island prison where gladiator fights are the rule of the day...But what they don't know is she was a former assassin trained in the dark arts who was falsely accused of murder and framed by her agency because she was going to spill the beans on what they were up to.....

Things are going to get bloody...With a nice salsa beat...

 

[T.Lex]

Escape from New York? Then LA?

 

[printcraft]

Escape from New York? Then LA?

[video=youtube;m7IZDKk89M0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7IZDKk89M0[/video]

 

[T.Lex]

No, that's not it....

 

[indiucky]

No, that's not it....

I know...Beautiful Latina chick assassin is not Kurt Russell or Ray Liotta....

 

[indiucky]

In the last about 15 years as I have turned against the death penalty, that's what it is about for me.

I am not there yet...I saw a film called "The Thin Blue Line" in the 90's that started me down the path to nay...I remember watching Nightline when he got out and it took the wind out of me a bit seeing him interviewed and trying to imagine knowing one is innocent but waiting for death....

I may get there one day...The older I get the more precious all life seems to get for me...

 

[Spear Dane]

It has never been about whether or not a criminal is deserving of death...we all have that coming.

It has always been about whether or not the government prosecuted and convicted the correct person of the correct crime.

A cage door can be unlocked. A grave cannot be unfilled.

Yup, that is my problem with it exactly. Sending an innocent person to prison is horrible enough. Executing one is unforgivable.