Re: never a day passes (death penalty)

From: Eugen Leitl (eugen@leitl.org)
Date: Fri Nov 29 2002 - 05:20:20 MST


On Fri, 29 Nov 2002, John K Clark wrote:

> "Eugen Leitl" <eugen@leitl.org>
>
> > What's wrong with locking the people up?
>
> 1) The get released and murder more people.

So they don't get released, unless presented with evidence that they're
innocent.

All it takes is patching of an existing method (no premature release,
introduce a life sentence with a literal meaning).
 
> 2) They escape and murder more people.

So you need better methods of confinement. If you're sealed in a cell, and
only communicate via video not too many ways to escape exist.
 
> 3) There are plenty of people they can murder in prison, some of
> the 2 million prisoners in the USA convicted of much less serious crimes or
> some of the hundred thousand or so that work there.

See above sealed cell with audio/video I/O. How do you claw your way from
a sealed stainless box with your bare hands?
 
> 4) In a world without a death penalty you are tell people who have already
> been convicted of murder that they will suffer no penalty if they kill
> again.

Spending the rest of your life in a sealed stainless box is a pretty
severe penalty, imo.

> >a life sentence _is_ reversible
>
> How do you give back 10 years of life?

Would you rather spend 10 years in prison, or ride the lightning?



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