Politics: What does the death penalty accomplish?

The death penalty comes down to retribution or revenge—the only plausible reasons to support it.

For the worst crimes, life without parole is better, for many reasons. I’m against the death penalty not because of sympathy for criminals, but because it doesn't reduce crime, prolongs the anguish of families of murder victims, costs a whole lot more than life in prison, and, worst of all, risks executions of innocent people.

The worst thing about it. Errors:

The system can make tragic mistakes. As of now, 153 wrongly convicted people on death row have been exonerated. We’ll never know for sure how many people have been executed for crimes they didn’t commit. DNA is rarely available in homicides, often irrelevant and can’t guarantee we won’t execute innocent people.

Keeping killers off the streets for good:

Life without parole, on the books in most states, also prevents reoffending. It means what it says, and spending the rest of your life locked up, knowing you’ll never be free, is no picnic. Two big advantages:

-an innocent person serving life can be released from prison

-life without parole costs less than the death penalty

Costs, a big surprise to many people:

It's well known that the death penalty costs far more than life sentences. Not many people know why. The upfront part of the legal process, as well as appeals, are much more complex in death penalty cases, because the punishment sought is irreversible. We know that innocent people were executed in the past (in the US and elsewhere.) The largest costs come at the pre-trial and trial stages and they apply whether or not the defendant is convicted, let alone sentenced to death.

Crime reduction (deterrence):

Homicide rates for states that use the death penalty are consistently higher than for those that don’t. The most recent FBI data confirms this. For people without a conscience, fear of being caught is the best deterrent. The death penalty is no more effective in deterring others than life sentences.

Who gets it:

The death penalty magnifies social and economic inequalities. It isn't reserved for the worst crimes, but for defendants with the worst lawyers. It doesn't apply to people with money. Practically everyone sentenced to death had to rely on an overworked public defender.

Victims:

Like no other punishment, it subjects families of murder victims to a process which makes healing even harder. Even families who have supported it in principle have testified to the protracted and unavoidable damage that the death penalty process does to families like theirs and that life without parole is an appropriate alternative.

Let's consider the things that it does NOT accomplish.

1. Deterrence of the perpetrator. Life imprisonment is deterrence enough to protect the general public from THAT particular offender.

2. Deterrence of would-be perpetrators. They are not concerned because THEY are sure they will get away with it without even being suspected.

3. Deterrence of crimes of passion. Those entail temporary insanity which precludes awareness of any consequences of their act at all.

What it DOES accomplish is to have taxpayers fund the services of people who will cold-bloodedly kill for money - their wages. Do civil service unions negotiate special pay scales for executioners, and do they compare government pay scales with those of the mobs for their hit-men?

Punishment and Revenge for the Victim's Family.

Punishment. Forget "reform." Usually those who are sentenced to the death penalty are beyond any reform.

One difference between conservatives and liberals: Conservatives are guided by TRUTH. Liberals try to GUIDE the Truth.

Republican since before she was born… and PROUD of it.

Sends the right message, eliminates repeat offenders, and is no different than life in prison without parole.

It brings closure to the murder victim's family, and takes an evil and twisted person off of our earth.

Gives justice and closure to the families of their victims.

Its better than having the state pay all their medical bills when they get old.

Nothing really. If anything life in prison is a much worse punishment.

Another bleeding Heart Liberal with no F****ng spine.