Explosions at the Boston Marathon

[LuckyNumber7]

I'm not saying it does. I don't know the opinions of the families. If there's an overwhelming support for execution, I hope they get what they want. That's all I'm saying. If there's an overwhelming support for life in prison, I hope they get that, then.

[anitram]

Gotcha.

I would just prefer that we don't bring in their wishes into crimes. If we do, then we should extend that "right" of consideration to victims of every crime, and to me, that's not how the criminal system is intended to operate.

[Galeongirl]

What is it about the death penalty that makes it so expensive, compared to life in prison? Always been curious about that one.

[anitram]

It's the endless appeals that come with a death penalty that contribute to most of the expenses, so essentially it's the legals that add up. Some of these are in ongoing active appeals for decades, which ties up public prosecutors but in addition, unless the person convicted is able to get pro bono counsel (they often are if it is a highly visible case and the Innocence Project has been quite successful), then they have to rely on legal aid, which again is a drain of public funds.

It's also more expensive to house death row inmates in prisons than if they were not segregated from the rest of the prison population. But I think that this cost is more marginal.

[Galeongirl]

So it's more the expenses on the legal system than the actual death sentence itself. How manny times can one appeal their sentence in the US system?

[Irvine511]

Originally Posted by Galeongirl

So it's more the expenses on the legal system than the actual death sentence itself. How manny times can one appeal their sentence in the US system?

my guess is that it varies state by state. the average length of time someone spends on death row has to be over 10 years. it's because it's so final, and because of the chance of someone being exonerated over evidence that the process is so thorough. no one wants to think of an innocent person being put to death.

some states don't have the death penalty, and most that do use it sparingly. the real outlier is Texas, which accounts for more than the lionshare of executions in the US.

it's a pretty racist thing as well.

[Galeongirl]

I guess that's the major problem most people have with the DP, that they don't want an innocent person be put to that. Nobody wants that of course. It's a tricky situation.

[powerhour24]

Yes, let us differ to the sound moral judgement of the public, particularly of the unbiased people directly affected by a crime, and especially that of Eric Holder, POTUS' staunch defender in his extrajudicial and reckless drone war.

[PhilsFan]

I think Amnesty International did a study and the average cost of using the death penalty is $2 million more than life in prison because of the cost of the appeals process. It might not be exactly that, but it's a significant number.

The death penalty is an abomination, like I said.

[Dfit00]

Some people are arguing that he's too young to be executed.

I wonder if he's still a virgin?

[Diemen]

[Irvine511]

he's not going to know what to do when he meets 40 more virgins in heaven.

[Pearl]

Originally Posted by Dfit00

Some people are arguing that he's too young to be executed.

I wonder if he's still a virgin?

Don't worry. He'll lose it in prison

[Galeongirl]

Originally Posted by Pearl

Don't worry. He'll lose it in prison

Ouch!


But what does age have to do with it? What difference does it make to the victims, to the people crippled by the blast? Commit an adult crime, be charged for an adult crime.

[LuckyNumber7]

I think someone as young as 14 or 15 has full ability to tell right from wrong when it comes TJ using bombs to blow people up and shooting at police officers. There's no reason to pity him due to his age. He's an adult.

[Dfit00]

Originally Posted by Pearl

Don't worry. He'll lose it in prison

You know it's interesting that most heterosexual men that are put into an extended prison sentence usually turn homosexual when engaging in intercourse. This is logical given that they are not going to have contact with women for years to come and the only thing left is to turn gay at least temporarily to release all the built up pressure.

Many experts have also correlated this phenomenon with the increase of prison sexual assaults, harassment and male-to-male rape cases.

Originally Posted by Galeongirl

But what does age have to do with it? What difference does it make to the victims, to the people crippled by the blast? Commit an adult crime, be charged for an adult crime.

I understand that juvenile courts and prisons are for teens under the age of 18. What most people are arguing is that the death penalty shouldn't be imposed in someone under 21 (if it were to happen, then he would be come the youngest person to be executed in history) but rather impose a life sentence instead of the death penalty.

[Irvine511]

they don't turn homosexual. they are straight men who are having sex with other men. they're still hetero, but in this situation they're engaging in homosexual sex.

men bugger each other all the time in the middle east.

[corianderstem]

Originally Posted by Dfit00

You know it's interesting that most heterosexual men that are put into an extended prison sentence usually turn homosexual when engaging in intercourse. This is logical given that they are not going to have contact with women for years to come and the only thing left is to turn gay at least temporarily to release all the built up pressure.

Many experts have also correlated this phenomenon with the increase of prison sexual assaults, harassment and male-to-male rape cases.

You do realize that rape is about power and not sex, yes?

I refuse to wish rape on anyone, even the worst criminals in prison.

[Diemen]

Originally Posted by corianderstem

I refuse to wish rape on anyone, even the worst criminals in prison.

It's a sad indictment of today's society that anyone would feel the need to state this.

Also, Dfit and all, let's refrain from turning this thread into some bizarre debate over virginity and prison sex.

[Irvine511]

what's also awful is that HIV in prison runs rampant. so men go to prison -- sometimes for petty drug charges -- get raped, seroconvert, infect more men in prison, and then come out into the world and infect others.