Should We Bring Back Capital Punishment?

[gordiescotland1]

Like most people I was disgusted and appalled by the wicked killing of an innocent child by Aaron Campbell. The DNA evidence was quite overwhelming. In a case as wicked as this should capital punishment not be a fitting punishment and deterrent

[dannyk13]

A lot of people may think so, but it will never happen.

[goodgoalie]

Even if it were brought back, at 16 Campbell would be too young to be executed

[hc4361]

Britain would have to leave the ECHR which it is highly unlikely to do.

I am strongly opposed to the death penalty because I believe:
it is an easy way out for the criminal
it is wrong to make good people kill a person
it can place a huge burden of guilt on the victim and/or the victim's family
the death penalty is hugely expensive compared to life imprisonment, using the US model as the example

Some abhorrent murderers have gone on to lead blame free, productive lives after serving their sentence, such as child murderer (in both senses) Mary Bell and a wife murderer who went on to become my barber. Of course some murderers should never be released.

[Rockrose]

No

[steg]

People still commit murders in countries with the death penalty so it’s not overly a deterrent

[Pete65]

No, and Campbell would have been too young to face a hangman in any case.

[EDDIE51]

No , Murderers have been found to be innocent even after many years in prison. Plus it has been proved that Capital punishment actually increases the murder rate! A criminal committing a robbery is likely to kill any possible witness so as to increase the chance of getting away !
I have been in Prison and shared a cell with a man convicted of Murder and serving 'Life' . He wrote to me a year or so afterwards to say he had been cleared of the crime! Another man had made a confession and had given evidenc that he was the real murderer .

[Mamyalynne]

No.

[Canary42]

I seem to recall there were plenty of murders when we had capital punishment, so the deterrent argument doesn't stand up. And by so authenticating the taking of life the State tends to remove the moral repugnance from such an act.

[Calicogirl]

You shared a cell with someone serving a life sentence Eddie? I thought they always had single cells?

[Ken4155]

No

[hc4361]

Calicogirl, I don't know if the rules have changed but many lifers and murderers have served years in shared cells. A famous example is the murderer Clement McNally who went on to murder his cellmate in 2003. The victim was in prison for drug and driving offences.

[pansypotter]

No, but I do think much harsher sentencing should be brought in, sending murderers to prison today is sending them to a holiday camp! Lock them up with no privileges, a life sentence should mean life till the day they die in prison!

[EDDIE51]

Cocallgirl. Yes 'lifers'are supposed to get a single cell. But very often there are not enough cells available. Plus many of them prefer to share a cell so as to have some company .

[hc4361]

You've obviously never been in prison, pansypotter. Or you've been to some very strange holiday camps.
The UK has the most lifers in actual number and as per centage of population in Europe, and more than Russia and Turkey. Our prisons are severely overcrowded making conditions for prisoners and staff dangerous and in some cases inhumane.
Trying to sleep in a very small cell with a stranger you don't trust evacuating his bowels a feet from your head is not a holiday camp jolly in my view.

[jno]

Eddie, I would have thought the question is whether other people want to share a cell with them...

[EDDIE51]

Also, I have talked to 'lifers' and many of them would rather have the death penalty than spend their entire life in jail!.

[david small]

Yes, yes, and thrice yes. Alas and alack I regret it will not happen yet.

[EDDIE51]

jno There is a major shortage of accomadation in Prisons in the UK. A prisoner is NOT given a choice as to where they are sent !

[retrocop]

//The UK has the most lifers in actual number and as per centage of population in Europe, and more than Russia and Turkey.//

//Also, I have talked to 'lifers' and many of them would rather have the death penalty than spend their entire life in jail!.//

Yes for reasons shown above. It would seem the experiment has not worked so give the old method a retry and see if the spiraling street murders every day diminish.People out there are killing with impunity and no fear of the consequences of arrest.