just_words Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 There's an element of zero-sum to all this - the cheaper capital punishment gets, the more likely it is that innocents will be executed. Each executed innocent equals one unpunished, unrepentant, reoffending perp on the street. On NewsNight the other night I heard that on average it costs US $300,000,000 to go through the whole process and that it is actually a lot cheaper for them to spend life in prison. I don't know if the bloke got his figures wrong, but no-one put him right if he did! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conrod Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 You're right - but it does happen. As recently as January in terms of well publicised cases, who knows how often it happens to those not in the public eye. If the arrestee had been summarily executed, the actual murderer would be still at large. If the arrestee had been tried, they would have been exonerated and the hunt for the murderer continued. If if they had been arrested and convicted, they most likely would have appealed successfully - such are the checks and balances in the legal and judicial system. There's an element of zero-sum to all this - the cheaper capital punishment gets, the more likely it is that innocents will be executed. Each executed innocent equals one unpunished, unrepentant, reoffending perp on the street. Providing you're happy to give up your right to trial and appeal, and give up your life if wrongly convicted, I see no inherent contradictions in your position, but it still doesn't amount to any kind of 'solution'. Genuinely false convictions are so profoundly rare that I'm not concerned about the possibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Death Penalty? Won't happen in UK, contrary to popular opinion we are NOT the 51st US State. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluevan Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Havent read the entire thread (193 posts) but YES bring it back, we have the technology now to prove without a doubt whos guilty, I always think of poor Holly and Jessicas parents, going to work and trying to carry on with their lives knowing that the tax they pay is going towards paying for Ian Huntley to have a xbox and play pool and live in relative comfort, If there was a death penatly then all the chavs and scum might think twice before pulling a knife on someone, there is no punishment for their behaviour now, this country is a joke for many reasons! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halibut Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Havent read the entire thread (193 posts) but YES bring it back, we have the technology now to prove without a doubt whos guilty, I always think of poor Holly and Jessicas parents, going to work and trying to carry on with their lives knowing that the tax they pay is going towards paying for Ian Huntley to have a xbox and play pool and live in relative comfort, If there was a death penatly then all the chavs and scum might think twice before pulling a knife on someone, there is no punishment for their behaviour now, this country is a joke for many reasons! No we don't - that's simply not the case. What makes you think you know what the parents of murdered children think by the way? Are you telepathic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phanerothyme Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Genuinely false convictions are so profoundly rare that I'm not concerned about the possibility. That's right, under our current system arrested innocents often never even get charged. under a policy of summary execution it is certain that the number of wrongful 'convictions' (implied by the death sentence received) will rise - for at least three reasons that I can think of. So you may not be concerned because it's a remote possibility, but are you actually prepared to forgo the right to trial for a capital offence? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_words Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Without spending any more (per year), how can the issues of offenders, justice and rehabilitation be improved to quell this tide of people calling for the death penalty? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phanerothyme Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Without spending any more (per year), how can the issues of offenders, justice and rehabilitation be improved to quell this tide of people calling for the death penalty? We simply execute everyone who calls for the death penalty. They won't do it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_words Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 We simply execute everyone who calls for the death penalty. They won't do it again. Now I know you don't mean that! But for saying it, it'd include you yourself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conrod Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 That's right, under our current system arrested innocents often never even get charged. under a policy of summary execution it is certain that the number of wrongful 'convictions' (implied by the death sentence received) will rise - for at least three reasons that I can think of. So you may not be concerned because it's a remote possibility, but are you actually prepared to forgo the right to trial for a capital offence? I haven't said that I would support execution without trial. I'd just like the trials to be less drawn out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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