Capital Punishment

[mikephoen]

Originally Posted by GGG

When cutting of hands was the penalty for stealing people still lost hands. So I'm not sure that death would be a Deterrent. Also I think accidental death would be high as people who speed get the death penalty.

A lot of crime is need based So drug related crime would not drop for sure.

Yeah, the driving related laws probably wouldn't work. But what about the big white collar stuff, like tax evasion and fraud?

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

No.

a) You might kill an innocent person.
b) I believe life in maximum security prison is a greater punishment than death.

So wouldn't it be worse to keep an innocent person in maximum security prison for life than to execute them?

[GGG]

Originally Posted by mikephoen

Yeah, the driving related laws probably wouldn't work. But what about the big white collar stuff, like tax evasion and fraud?

I dont think it works even in those cases. I think people are entirely disconnected from the reality that what they are doing is wrong and they will be caught.

Is there a meaningful difference in your thought process when committing fraud if you are caught you lose 5 years of your life, or 20, or all of it? I don't think a person who is already willing to bet 5 years in prison changes his thought process for 30 or 50 or all of it or death.

I think you see evidence of this in 3 strike laws, and mandatory minimums not moving the needle on crimes at all.

I do think you would create a lot of fear of law abiding citizens for accidentally screwing up or getting accused of jaywalking and being put to death. There's a 1st season Star Trek next ten episode with a planet like this that eliminated all crime by implanting the death penalty.

[calgarygeologist]

I see a lot of people using the argument of mistaken punishment for innocent individuals but how is sentencing an innocent individual to a life sentence any better? Incorrect sentencing, especially in cases where the penalty is severe, will ruin a person's life. They could spend many years locked up, lose their relationships with friends and family, lose any possibility of working or volunteering in the future, etc.

Obviously the big difference is that you can't bring someone back from the dead if new information surfaces that might call for an acquittal but even with a life sentence irreparable damage has been done.

[Amethyst]

Originally Posted by gargamel

So wouldn't it be worse to keep an innocent person in maximum security prison for life than to execute them?

If you put an innocent person in prison, you can reverse that if you discover your mistake. If you kill them, you can't.

[Amethyst]

Originally Posted by GGG

I think you see evidence of this in 3 strike laws, and mandatory minimums not moving the needle on crimes at all.

There's been evidence that three strikes laws actually make things worse. People know they are going away for a long time if they are caught a third time, so that leads to crimes escalating. Someone who is committing a robbery and is afraid of getting caught for the third time, suddenly starts shooting people in a desperate bid to escape.

[mikephoen]

Originally Posted by GGG

I dont think it works even in those cases. I think people are entirely disconnected from the reality that what they are doing is wrong and they will be caught.

Is there a meaningful difference in your thought process when committing fraud if you are caught you lose 5 years of your life, or 20, or all of it? I don't think a person who is already willing to bet 5 years in prison changes his thought process for 30 or 50 or all of it or death.

I think you see evidence of this in 3 strike laws, and mandatory minimums not moving the needle on crimes at all.

I do think you would create a lot of fear of law abiding citizens for accidentally screwing up or getting accused of jaywalking and being put to death. There's a 1st season Star Trek next ten episode with a planet like this that eliminated all crime by implanting the death penalty.

I'd forgotten about that Star Trek episode. Maybe I should rewatch it.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by mikephoen

I'd forgotten about that Star Trek episode. Maybe I should rewatch it.

No, it's a Wesley episode where they had the opportunity to kill him but didnt

[Thor]

What are the support for the death penalty rates in Canada vs the US. 30% in this poll, is pretty great if its mainly Canadians voting.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Thor

What are the support for the death penalty rates in Canada vs the US. 30% in this poll, is pretty great if its mainly Canadians voting.

I would like to think an actual national poll would bring much lower numbers in favor of a barbaric punishment that's been abolished in most of the world.

[Thor]

Wtf, 61% support the death penalty for Murder.

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/...oll_finds.html

[jayswin]

It's like that old saying "if you want what's best for the people, don't ask the people".

[RT14]

I want to say "yes" for the rare cases of people raping and murdering children or serial killers but I don't trust the system to stop there and it leaves too many possibilities of innocent people being executed wrongly.

[afc wimbledon]

Ironically it's usually the worst crimes that have the highest chance of a miscarriage of justice, the pressure the cops are under to catch someone quick when a child is raped and killed are immense, if they can find some ######ed guy and put him in the box long enough to confess they'll do it in a heartbeat if history is anything to go by, just ask Timothy Evans, hung for killing his wife until they found six other bodies walled up in the house and realized the landlord, Christie did it.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by jayswin

It's like that old saying "if you want what's best for the people, don't ask the people".

Was this a quote from some eccentric old weirdo or a communist dictator?

[CaptainCrunch]

I'd like to bring in the shag carpet and bunny slippers powered electric chair, its the most environmentally and carbon sensible way to execute someone.

[T@T]

I voted no but for truly heinous crimes (involving kids or multiple murders) and are 100% guilty give them the guillotine in public for all I care.

[pope04]

Originally Posted by T@T

I voted no but for truly heinous crimes (involving kids or multiple murders) and are 100% guilty give them the guillotine in public for all I care.

Then your vote should've been yes.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by pope04

Then your vote should've been yes.

No, not really. Too many people were/are put to death for just being in the wrong place, being poor or in a lot of cases being the wrong color/race. I don't want anyone to die for these reasons.

But I'll gladly pull the switch myself for the true monsters.

[pgsieve]

No... Only because I personally think the idea of an execution is letting them off too easy. As someone who isn't religious, I'd rather ensure a "hell on earth" in case there isn't the real thing