death penalty vs. life sentence vs. jail time with parole?

Question

I'm writing a research paper for my religion class, so it'd be helpful to have a religious perspective. If not, opinions are welcome. How would a life sentence or jail time with parole support life and dignity of the human person, option for the poor and vulnerable, and a belief that we're all responsible for our own actions?

Answer 1

For the worst crimes, life without parole is better, for many reasons. I’m against the death penalty not because of sympathy for criminals but because it isn’t effective in reducing crime, prolongs the anguish of families of murder victims, costs a whole lot more than life in prison, and, worst of all, risks executions of innocent people.



The worst thing about it. Errors:

The system can make tragic mistakes. In 2004, the state of Texas executed Cameron Todd Willingham for starting the fire that killed his children. The Texas Forensic Science Commission found that the arson testimony that led to his conviction was based on flawed science. As of today, 138 wrongly convicted people on death row have been exonerated. DNA is rarely available in homicides, often irrelevant (as in Willingham’s case) and can’t guarantee we won’t execute innocent people. Capital juries are dominated by people who favor the death penalty and are more likely to vote to convict.



Keeping killers off the streets for good:

Life without parole, on the books in most states, also prevents reoffending. It means what it says, and spending the rest of your life locked up, knowing you’ll never be free, is no picnic. Two big advantages:

-an innocent person serving life can be released from prison

-life without parole costs less than the death penalty



Costs, a surprise to many people:

Study after study has found that the death penalty is much more expensive than life in prison. Since the stakes are so high, the process is far more complex than for any other kind of criminal case. The largest costs come at the pre-trial and trial stages. The tremendous expenses in a death penalty case apply whether or not the defendant is convicted, let alone sentenced to death.



Crime reduction (deterrence):

The death penalty doesn't keep us safer. Homicide rates for states that use the death penalty are consistently higher than for those that don’t. The most recent FBI data confirms this. For people who lack a conscience, fear of being caught is the best deterrent.



Who gets it:

Contrary to popular belief, the death penalty isn't reserved for the worst crimes, but for defendants with the worst lawyers. It doesn't apply to people with money. Practically everyone sentenced to death had to rely on an overworked public defender. How many people with money have been executed??



Victims:

People assume that families of murder victims want the death penalty imposed. It isn't necessarily so. Some are against it on moral grounds. But even families who have supported the death penalty in principle have testified to the protracted and unavoidable damage that the death penalty process does to families like theirs and that life without parole is an appropriate alternative.



It comes down to whether we should keep a system for the sake of retribution or revenge even though it isn’t effective in reducing violent crime, costs much more than alternatives and, worst of all, can lead to the nightmare of executing someone for a crime he didn’t commit.

Answer 2

I think that the law should require two independent psych evals before a juvenile can be tried as an adult. The child with Conduct Disorder frequently develops Antisocial Personality Disorder (sociopaths and psychopaths). We know that the male brain does not reach maturity until the age of 25; however, we are all still responsible for what we do. And incarceration is not only for punishment but also to protect society. "Health education" in schools should teach mental health as well as physical health. Then these students would be more likely to tell someone just how dysfunctional their homes are and steps can be taken to give these kids the support they need. A lot of these kids who get into trouble are children of alcoholics, drug addicts and/or are latch key kids who have no one to answer to. So the peer pressure takes its toll. They are allowed to play violent games in which they kill people before they are even old enough to comprehend the taking of a life. "Family values" isn't about religion. It's about teaching ethics and integrity and the Golden Rule. So there is no simple solution to this problem. We have children who, having been molested, have become pedophiles who are molesting other children. So the cure for societal ills starts with society.

Answer 3

Life sentence with no parole - a lifetime of free food, free clothing (even if it is uniforms) free laundry service, a free gym, free cable, free internet, free medical and dental care, and other freebies that the law-abiding have to do without if they cannot afford them. It can also mean a lifetime of lounging around, never having to do any work, hanging out with buddies, playing basketball/football/ other recreational activities, and it it all at the expense of the law-abiding taxpayer. But of course, churches are all for it since they do not contribute a dime to any of these things, all their income is tax-free.



Life sentences also mean the prisoner has nothing to lose, so they can attack or even kill the guards or other prison staff with no fear of any consequences. Because if any of their rights (again, rights the law-abiding do not have) are removed as a result, they can go crying to the ACLU and have them given back to them, along with a nice pay-off (again, at taxpayers' expense) to the criminal's family.

Answer 4

if i were you i'd pick an easier subject to write about.

you couldn't have picked a more complex controversial issue to research.

in addition to that if you Have to research this subject narrow it down, its TOO wide and you won't end up with a comprehensible paper with a Clear subject.



I can't really give you my opinion about this, since thats the whole point of the "research" paper, find credible scholarly sources and use them to compose your paper and opinion about the subject.



good luck.

Answer 5

I am always to busy thinking about the life and dignity of the useless criminals victim quite frankly.

Answer 6

The biblical and theological support for the death penalty far outweighs any alleged teachings to the contrary.



God/Jesus: 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'Whoever curses father or mother must certainly be put to death.' Matthew 15:4. full context - Jesus used this reference to condemn the Pharisees for their intentional misinterpretation of God's Word, emphasizing that the Truth of God's Word must be enforced, which is precisely what He was doing with this well known passage. www.newadvent.org/bible/mat015.htm



Saint (& Pope) Pius V, "The just use of (executions), far from involving the crime of murder, is an act of paramount obedience to this (Fifth) Commandment which prohibits murder." "The Roman Catechism of the Council of Trent" (1566).



All interpretations, contrary to the biblical support of capital punishment, are false. Interpreters ought to listen to the Bible’s own agenda, rather than to squeeze from it implications for their own agenda. As the ancient rabbis taught, “Do not seek to be more righteous than your Creator.” (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7.33.). Part of Synopsis of Professor Lloyd R. Bailey’s book Capital Punishment: What the Bible Says, Abingdon Press, 1987.



"Death Penalty Support: Christian and secular Scholars"

http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/07/death-penalty-support-modern-catholic.html



Christianity and the death penalty

http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/DP.html#F.Christianity



Catholic and other Christian References: Support for the Death Penalty,

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2006/10/12/catholic-and-other-christian-references-support-for-the-death-penalty.aspx



Quaker biblical scholar Dr. Gervas A. Carey: " . . . the decree of Genesis 9:5-6 is equally enduring and cannot be separated from the other pledges and instructions of its immediate context, Genesis 8:20-9:17; . . . that is true unless specific Biblical authority can be cited for the deletion, of which there appears to be none. It seems strange that any opponents of capital punishment who professes to recognize the authority of the Bible either overlook or disregard the divine decree in this covenant with Noah; . . . capital punishment should be recognized . . . as the divinely instituted penalty for murder; The basis of this decree . . . is as enduring as God; . . . murder not only deprives a man of a portion of his earthly life . . . it is a further sin against him as a creature made in the image of God and against God Himself whose image the murderer does not respect." (p. 111-113) Essays on the Death Penalty, T. Robert Ingram, ed., St. Thomas Press, Houston, 1963, 1992.



Pope Pius XII: "When it is a question of the execution of a man condemned to death it is then reserved to the public power to deprive the condemned of the benefit of life, in expiation of his fault, when already, by his fault, he has dispossessed himself of the right to live." 9/14/52



Jesus: "So Pilate said to (Jesus), "Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?" Jesus answered (him), "You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above." John 19:10-11



Jesus: Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." (Jesus) replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." Luke 23: 39-43



Jesus: "You have heard the ancients were told, ˜YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER" and "Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court". But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, "Raca", shall be guilty before the supreme court and whoever shall say, "You fool", shall be guilty enough to go into fiery hell." Matthew 5:17-22. Here, Jesus raises the bar. Not only are murderers subject to the death penalty, but those who have hatred in their hearts "shall be guilty enough to go into fiery hell" - an infinitely more severe sanction than any earthly death.

full context http://www.newadvent.org/bible/mat005.htm



The Holy Spirit: God, through the power and justice of the Holy Spirit, executed both Ananias and his wife, Saphira. Their crime? Lying to the Holy Spirit - to God - through Peter. Acts 5:1-11