Capital Punishment / Execution

In the USA, there are spectators to the execution, including it seems the families of the victims of the perpetrators crimes. How can that help anyone? There is the usual nonsense talk of "closure", something that simply doesn't exist. I don't mean that those of us who experience trauma remain in that initial awful state of shock, anger, disbelief etc. It's possible to somehow make what happened part of you, without it dominating every waking moment. I cant' imagine that watching the execution in any way helps move into a less distressed state of mind.

I did read somewhere, a long time ago that an execution costs more than keeping someone locked up for life.
The prisoner has access to so many appeals that it isn’t a cost cutting exercise.

Many people serving on a jury would be extremely reluctant to find a defendant ‘guilty’ knowing capital punishment was a possibility. As the country is so split on this issue, some murderers could walk free.

Horrendous. Its the mark of a civilised society hiw we treat those who have wronged society.

Having a death penalty does not prevent horrendous crimes. Never quite see the point.

No, I could never support the death penalty.

Life in prison is not the 'holiday camp' that some people believe. No civilised society would support the death penalty.

there needs to be a harsher punishment for murderers,such as Peter Sutcliffe and Ian Huntley.They deserve hanging,but it seems barbaric now,and mistakes have been made in the past.At least Fred West had the right idea,and did it himself.These people never considered their victims,we probably are too soft with them,but there's no easy answer.

I admit many years ago I was one of the "flog em and hang em" brigade but over the years there have been so many miscarriages of justice I have done a complete about-turn.

I do not believe we should waste taxpayers money keeping them incarcerated for life but I do not see an alternative. They appear to have a lot of mod cons in prison.

Capital punishment should not even enter our heads as a possibility. We are not medieval people, I hope. Life imprisonment is probably the best answer.

I am old enough to remember hangings being announced on the radio news. I used to think that one day we would look back on such barbarism with disbelief, yet I find that there are still people with the primitive mindset that sees it as a reasonable punishment.

I agree. Although, if an execution is to take place, the hideous electric chair/injection route seems even more barbaric than a “proper” hanging.
What does one do with serial killers or those whose mind is SO out there that one can never trust them?

OTOH, there are some people whose crimes are so hideous that I wish there were some alternative to keeping them incarcerated in some degree of shelter and security at tax payers expense (around £40k a year) for the rest of their miserable lives. Think, for instance, Ian Brady or Levi Bellfield. No doubt at all as to their guilt.

I would not support hanging, but there must be other ways. Hard labour, maybe?

I think the American prison system in some states is totally
inhumane Hideous
No I will never agree with capital punishment