No if I ever committed a bad enough crime then I'd love the death penalty, it's a much easier option than having to spend the rest of your life in prison (assuming life means life of course). It lets them off way too easily, locking them up forever constantly reminded of what they did is a much harsher punishment I think.

Loving the mixed opinions. I think people who are against it are just better people than me. I'm the type of person who doesn't have any sympathy for those who commit horrific crimes and I don't really care about their outcome... I know it makes me a bad person, but I'm someone who believes in karma.

I don't think it's about being better or more mature or whatever, it's an obviously emotional subject and 99% of people who, if they were to be affected by someone in a murderous/rapey/predatory way, would always want the perpetrator dead or wish them harm or whatever... it's just a matter of the state acting as a means of punishment rather than the victim's relatives / mob mentality.

And there's no right / comfortable answer. On the one hand (as RichardG put it), death can be an easy get-out for a criminal, be it for martyrdom (ie. most terrorists) or just general suicidal reasons; but as AnnieK said, lifetime in prison is a massive drain on the taxpayer. And obviously plays into the hands of those who criticise prisons for being too soft (which I'd agree with, games consoles and the sort you hear of need to be done away with).

It's just... killing to punish killing doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Nope. Two wrongs ≠ a right.

..it doesn't make you a bad person at all Caitlin, not one bit... I just believe that taking the life of someone who has taken a life, shortens the gap between who we are and who that person is, that's not karma or justice because it takes us closer to them..?...but with the karma thing and what Joey said about the torture and murder of a child...Daniel Pelka's mother 'took her own life' in prison and his stepfather has just been found dead in prison, so karma maybe..?...and they went to prison/we can't make karma, karma makes itself...and it decides when to make itself...

Never, ever, under any circumstance

I cba getting into detail about these things cause it's been on here so many times but 1. Yeah, two wrongs don't make a right 2. A lot of criminals will see it as a way out. Let them live with their guilt, and if they have none they must be insane to some degree. Rather have kennel conditions, horrible food and water. You'll save a lot of money by just giving them the bare basics. **** their human rights

I am also undecided. I do believe a life sentence should be a life sentence. Yet at the same time, there is the issue that we taxpayers are paying a lot of money to keep someone alive who is a very bad person...not only the expense, but there will never be any chance of rehabilitation, and you also need to consider, if you think that these people do in fact have a conscience...that by keeping them alive, we are causing them to be tortured for the rest of their lives.

There are some I think should be euthanised, Levi Bellfield is the first that springs to mind.

I'm not sure I see the link between prison being torture?

Do you know Ammi, and I think this is really weird. I read the BBC news every day (not even in HD) , and for the last two days, a resurrected thread has been trending - that of Daniel Pelka's mother taking her own life, a story from July 2015. I almost missed the story of the stepfather also being dead, because I immediately thought it was about the mother again.

I find this really bizarre, that this thread is brought back trending just before the latest news.

I didn't say it was, I was implying the weight of their conscience, should they have one, would be.

I don't have any sympathy either, for me karma would be the constant daily reflection.
Death is too easy.

I hate that saying as sometimes people do need to get an eye for an eye, like for example if someone spits in your face are you not allowed to retaliate? I know it's not the same as what we're talking about here but sometimes two wrongs do make a right imo.

The death penalty is a medieval way to deal with criminals, and it has no place in modern british society. I think that summarises my view on this subject.

Yes, pistol shot to the back of the head and body incinerated as quick as we can

saves money, gives revenge and justice to victims families

psychopaths do not have that mental facility and many child killers and rapists commit crimes just to fantasise about them for years after

You may suffer if you were banged up but for the average rapists and killer they dont care

Agree with this,made a good point there LT.

Yes, I am all for it, providing there is absolutely no doubt about their guilt, secondly it must be a humane way to send them off.
Maybe get a vet to do it.
Taxpayers money could be spent much better on other things.

I don't know what percentage of killers are psychopaths, I wouldn't say it warranted a change in the law.
In fact if it was due to a brain injury or affliction I'd have more sympathy.

Yes i would support it if we had a perfect justice system. but there are no perfect justice systems in the world, so i am against it for now. I don't think it's wrong to kill a killer though, morally i think it's fine.

Mixed.

On one hand I think it's a step backwards and there is always that fear that a person supposedly 100% guilty could be innocent and as somebody else suggested there have been times when a person has changed and could benifit society now.

In other cases I think it's just justice, like if Jihad John was found alive I'd want him dead, even if he was imprisoned he would never feel remorse for his crimes and you can imagine his life from John would not be that bad and he could continue or castrating hate from inside.

Another case I can see the death penalty coming into action is for pedophiles. Just kill them to stop even the smallest chance they can hurt another kid.

I would build slendid new ampitheatres where convicted murders, terrorists, child-killers and cop-killers could be dressed and equipped in the style of gladiators and made to fight to the death.

Huge revenue could be raised from the cost of admission tickets to the public, which should be in line with say 'Front Row' seats to the theatre or major sporting venues, and also from the sale of food, drink, refreshments ice creams and souvenirs and novelties.

Before each show, the victims families can address the killer with something along the lines of:

"My name is Maximum Decimated Citizen, loving father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life and the next."

It would save the Crown a fortune, make it a fortune and provide much needed entertaintment considering the peurile shet that's on the telly.

No????

Ok then - Anyone for tennis?

..I wouldn't even joke about it Kirk..:laugh:..that might be our reality TV of the future...

Yes make them play tennis but with hand grenades instead of tennis balls.

..I watch too many movies, yes...