in a perfect theoretical world, I wouldn't mind having sending people to live out the rest of their lives in solitude to think about what they have done.

However, there are so many practical things we have to think about.

What if they escape? Where would we keep them? Who will make sure they stay where they are?

So they thus become a burden on society. Are we going to spend lots of tax dollars to keep these people alive for years upon years upon years? I hear its about 60,000 a year (USD) to maintain a jail cell for a year. And then overpopulation of prisons-- so many things to think about!

With all things considered, i would probably reserve the right to use the death penalty for the worst of the worst sociopaths. The rest, I would have them work and pay their back to society by mining minerals or making liscense plates or something-- anything so that they can help to carry their own load in jail.

That, though, brings on even more issues ::sigh::

I don't think the death penalty is the way to go, life imprisonment seems to be a stronger punishment. It may cost us more money in taxes, but I can't even imagine what it's like to be in a jail with a bunch of other murderers, seems like that's a worst fate than the death penalty. Plus, when you have countries like China that are executing people because of tax evasion and drugs, the death penalty just seems like the wrong way to go.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_the_People's_Republic_of_China

I am against the death penalty.

Here in the US, it is more expensive to kill someone with the death penalty than to keep them alive in prison. (no source just heard it from my business law teacher)

The reason I am against the death penalty is because you could be killing an innocent person. If you just let them live in prison all their life, it would be more of a punishment and if they were innocent they could be released later. Death just seems like the easy way out.

for me im against for 3 reasons.

1) costs more. why should spend more money on someone to kill them?

2) innocence. the person might be innocent so its better to be able to free them.

3) 15-30 years of jail then death or 60-70 and randomly dying? you choose. i would go with death since at least i know that im gona get out of jail sooner (to the afterlife or whatever you believe in). i think living in jail is worse so that should be the punishment.

I'm from germany, we have no death penalty as the other countries in the EU. I think this is the right decision. My reasons following: 1. Death penalty is a violation of the human rights. Sure, murder itself is a violation of human rights. But if we execute the death penalty, in some way we lower us to the same moral level as the murderer we kill. 2. It has no effect on rates of violential crimes. 3. Even a criminal can show remorse and be resozialised. Even a murder can become later a valuable member of the society. If we apply the death penalty, we take the chance of happening this. 4. The possibility of a error in justice. An innocent can be punished. That can be happen with every punishment, but the death penalty is in a special way irreversible. Thats why I think every country should not longer use death penalty as an punishment. The countries of the EU should put more pressure on other countries to end death penalty.

The reason why the death penalty is more expensive is that

1) the appeals process takes up a lot of money. you have to wrangle up the judge and lawyers and stuff. Whenever lawyers are involved, a lot of money is spent

2) faciliities for killing people. It's usually performed in a very sanitary environment where a doctor has to make sure the inmate dies.

This usually isn't the case in other countries (like china) where they just shoot you like two weeks after the verdict.

but the same questions still come up. What if someone like Saddam managed to escape? Or what about some crazy psycho mass murderer?

Its just a really messy question and there isn't really a clean solution either way. I like to consider the burden on tax payers and I would do whatever burdens the citizens the least.

Death penalty:

1. Murder, Rape, Child molestation.
2. In place of sentance that is longer than possible human life AND person has no chance for parole whatsoever.
3. Only when evidence has no possibility of being overturned, as in video, DNA, etc. This would also leave out options of retrials or appeals.
4. Should be carried out swifty, 30 days max.

Death Penalty

5. Immediate for forum trolls.