Death penalty

[merrylander]

I did say 100% proven, we just had an eleven year old killed by a registered child molester north of here.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by merrylander

I did say 100% proven, we just had an eleven year old killed by a registered child molester north of here.

I'm not sure how you can guarantee that a guilty verdict is 100% certain. That's why we speak of "reasonable doubt" or "preponderance of the evidence". Anyway, besides a desire for "eye for an eye" type vengeance, what does execution do that "life without" doesn't do? As far as I'm concerned, there are no societal benefits to the death penalty and some significant negatives.

John

[Grumpy]

Its not really a matter of an eye for an eye but when they finish a sentence and go out and do it again.

I never like Ryan or any Illinois politicians, including all the Daley clan.

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by Boreas

I'm not sure how you can guarantee that a guilty verdict is 100% certain.

That is indeed a problem.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Its not really a matter of an eye for an eye when they finish a sentence and go out and do it again.

Who said anything about finishing a sentence? I'm talking about life without the possibility of parole.

I never like Ryan or its politicians, including all the Daley clan.

Do you think he was wrong to place the moratorium on executions, given how many mistakes they were making?

John

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Boreas

I'm not sure how you can guarantee that a guilty verdict is 100% certain. That's why we speak of "reasonable doubt" or "preponderance of the evidence". Anyway, besides a desire for "eye for an eye" type vengeance, what does execution do that "life without" doesn't do? As far as I'm concerned, there are no societal benefits to the death penalty and some significant negatives.

John

One thing that the death penalty does is to bring "closure" to the families of the victims. And one benefit of the death penalty is to save the taxpayer from having to support these animals.

Now I don't wish to paint everyone who has done time as an "animal", but perhaps my perception on this matter is different than yours. You weren't active on this forum when I explained how I used to work at the Missouri State Penitentiary in the early 80's, while it was the only maximum security institution in the state. Perhaps I'm prejudiced, but I can guarantee you, it wasn't filled with "good old boys" who made a mistake.

They were a hard lot, doing "life and 50" was more the norm as the exception, and I would imagine that having pretty much any of them as a neighbor would cause even the Brady bunch to reevaluate their position on the subject "to keep and bear arms".

That said, I'm not as big of a proponent of the death penalty as I once was. But some of the crimes that some of these people commit are so brutal and obscene that stoning them to death doesn't appear unreasonable.

Sometimes, they just need to go. And this isn't a thought which brings a smile to my face.

Chas

[merrylander]

In Canada they had to put child molesters in solitary because if they were put in the regular prison population they met with fatal accidents.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by merrylander

In Canada they had to put child molesters in solitary because if they were put in the regular prison population they met with fatal accidents.

I think it's the same here. Chas? Prison slang for child molesters is "Short Eyes". They're none too popular with the general population, that's for sure.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by Charles

One thing that the death penalty does is to bring "closure" to the families of the victims.

Some families think they benefit from that kind of closure but others don't. Some feel that killing a killer is as wrong as what the killer did. They recognize that nothing will bring their loved one back and putting another person's family through the same sort of pain they're feeling helps nobody.

And one benefit of the death penalty is to save the taxpayer from having to support these animals.

I'm going to have to research this but I think I remember reading that because of hearing all the appeals and all the administrative BS that occurs, plus the long periods of time inmates spend on Death Row it's actually more expensive on average to execute someone than it is to lock them up for the rest of their lives.

Look at Mumia Abu-Jamal. He's been in custody since December of 1981. That's 28 years and counting. Mumia is more famous than any other Death Row inmate but he's not that atypical in other respects.

John

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Boreas

I think it's the same here. Chas? Prison slang for child molesters is "Short Eyes". They're none too popular with the general population, that's for sure.

Never heard that term, but you're correct, child molesters aren't very popular with the general population. I don't think that there were many of them at MSP, mainly because they were considered to be non violent. I'm sure that the few we had were check ins or Ad Seg (Administrative Segregation).

Besides, it would have taken one damn tough child molester to have walked out on the yard at MSP (amongst the cold blooded killers, armed robbers, gang members, etc), and not come crawling back to the control center, bloodied from appetite to....well, and not want to be a check in. Don't know that even being a punk was much of an option for them.

I'll ask my wife about "short eyes", as she deals with them on a regular basis (nut house). According to her (and backed up by my old buddy, deceased deputy who busted several), you can't deal with them because they don't think they've done anything wrong.

At least the guy who sticks up the A&P knows why he's doing time.

It's sad really. The people who do these things really can't help themselves.

Chas