Capital Punishment

[Dante]

A Canadian research showed a direct relation between capital punishment and violence. When they officially banned capital punishment in Canada, it seems violence went down consequently. This is what the reasearch says.

Perhaps because the fear of death is enough to drive peole to extreme of violence. They are afraid of death, and so they try to fight it off. Without the threat of death however, they would be more likely to run away than fight.

[Anathema]

A Canadian research showed a direct relation between capital punishment and violence. When they officially banned capital punishment in Canada, it seems violence went down consequently. This is what the reasearch says.

Means nothing. For each investigation you could launch another investigation to prove otherwise. In the country wich more death sentences are carried out then anywhere else (except some islamic countries), the USA, more people are murdered then in any other western country.

Besides, maybe at the time this research was started the Canadian government made some other changes wich caused crime to fall.

[Navaros]

although i've already proved that the Capital Punishment should never ever occur with my first post in this thread, some of you may be interested in knowing about a story that was on 60 Minutes 2 last night. for those of you who don't know, the 60 Minutes shows are the most-respected journalist shows in North America.

they told the story of a guy who was sentenced to life in prison for rape/murder. when he was picked up, the cops said: "we'd like a DNA sample from you" and since the guy was innocent, he said: "sure, i'll voluntarily give you a DNA sample because I did not rape/murder this girl, so my DNA sample is sure to clear me."

he went to trial, and solely due to the DNA sample he voluntarily gave the cops, the jury convicted him. during appeal, the defense was able to get the DNA tested by independent laboratories and review the tests by the cop labs. the independent laboratories concluded that there is no way the DNA from the victim belonged to the convicted guy. they also confirmed that the cop labs completely screwed up the test in order to have the results match the outcome they wanted, even tho it was a lie.

a forsensic scientist said on the show: "DNA tests must be conducted properly in the first place, and read properly in the second place. if not, it is very easy to fudge the results"

of course, Prosecution is in the Business of convicting people, guilty or not, and the cops and cop labs support this all the way. so fudging DNA test results to help Prosecutors convict innocent people surely occurs all the time. but the jury never hears that these results may be a lie. they have no way of knowing that corrupt/incompetent cop-scientists have fabricated a lie that will waste an innocent man's life. all their decision to waste a man's life forever is based on, is a damning outright lie which they have every reason to believe is the Truth

the show also established that there have been other confirmed cases of DNA-test-fudging, and many, many more that are still under Investiagation. the point was made that it is highly likely that many people on Death Row right now are there solely because of fudged DNA-tests

[nemafakei]

"Hmm, here's an interesting topic...Where do you stand on capital punishment (execution)?"

Kneeling, tho old-fasioned way.

In theory, Capital punishment is a very good idea - reserved for persistent serious offenders who would otherwise too untrustworthy to be given helpful work in prison, let alone be rehabilitated. However, there are practical problems, like being sure of guilt first.

[SurlyPIG]

I spent 4 hours in a jail for a project to see what it was like, and it was pretty bad, but not bad enough. For one, I got three meals a day. The quality of the food was left to be desired but it was food nonetheless. You get a warm bed with a pillow. Sometimes you get a window. You get an exercise yard to, well exercise and socialize. The guards treat you like crap, though. Basically, any bum who is fighting to survive on the streets would welcome jail with open arms. This is one of the errors of the jailing system, making it too easy to live with. Not that it is easy, though.

Wuho! Four WHOLE hours? Are you ok man? ::)

Homeless people are a whole other issue...

Maximum prison though, is the bad jail. I saw a documentary on it, and it was pretty bad. Would you want someone who is innocent live their lives through that hell? There is always the X factor, and any percentage of the people sent to this hell for a crime they didn't commit is unacceptable. It is worth than death. Death, you aren't alive to whine about it. It's only the people around you who are affected. But, life in prison is the worst for you. I am just turning the argument around and using it on you. Death has its advantages, though.

If YOU would personally rather die than spend life in prison that's your opinion. Not anyone else's. Besides, if prison is THAT bad, you can always take your own life (happens sometimes). And a jury's decision is never final. Like Dj said there can be DNA tests done, the real criminal can confess, they can find new evidence, develop and use new forensic methods, etc. If they are in this 'hell prison', which they can probably get out of with good behaviour, then they can always be released and compensated if found innocent. And a life sentence doesn't mean life in prison, it can include parole after however many years.

I think it's a little apalling that you would rather have innocent people be killed than temporarily suffer with hope to be set free and regain their life. I watched a documentary a while ago about a a twenty-eight year old father of two that was convicted of murder and spent nine years in jail before being proven inncoent by a DNA test, released, and given more than a million dollars compensation. It was made by a prison guard who, on instinct, couldn't believe that the guy was actually guilty. He recorded videos of the guy meeting with his wife and his two little kids every week, his saddened mother bringing him baking, and his infuriated father giving him updates on progress in trying for his release. When he was finally released after nine years, when his kids were fourteen and eleven, he was amazingly un-bitter. While in prison he could have killed himself (he had the choice of death) but he chose to tough it out with the hope that he'd one day be able to return to his family. Who the HELL are you to take that choice away from him, Acriku? Maybe prison is worse than death to YOU, but why should the penal system be based of YOUR opinion?

[Acriku]

Wuho! Four WHOLE hours? Are you ok man?

I still have the remnants of a rash from the...never mind.

And a jury's decision is never final. Like Dj said there can be DNA tests done, the real criminal can confess, they can find new evidence, develop and use new forensic methods, etc. If they are in this 'hell prison', which they can probably get out of with good behaviour, then they can always be released and compensated if found innocent. And a life sentence doesn't mean life in prison, it can include parole after however many years.

Yes, advancing technology is minimalizing the chance for an accused to be innocent. This is a great thing for everybody, except those who did the crime. And good behavior shaves off probably 1/3-1/4 of the sentence, which might be a good deal of years. So, basically there are ways to get an ease of the sentence. I guess that is what you were saying?

And please do not suggest what I would be content, to say that I would have innocents killed rather than to be in prison for life (and if it is for such a big crime, it might be many lives to spend in prison - peculiar, but it's the system). I don't know how many people get out of prison with a life sentence, and that seems rare to me for a life sentence, but I don't like either side. Both sides have their downfalls. But what if you could minimize one side's downfall as much as you can and have the upsides of it as well?

Who the HELL are you to take that choice away from him, Acriku?

I am no one. Atleast in politics. So I have no power behind my opinions, so what is the drama for?

[Caid Ivik]

Acriku, you aren't no one. You are one. Maybe once you'll find more people with same opinions. Then one+one=two. And so on. NSDAP started with 9 people, so why shouldn't you try?

[Acriku]

I'll leave that to the leaders of politics.

And I do not have a political agenda, so we'd just play poker and eat chips.

[bryorama]

Im all for it.... They did what day did.

[nampigai]

for some it was being innocent, but fair enough bryorama.