life long prison sentence

I think this is a better option than the death penalty. We should never end someone's life (it feels very 'eye for an eye' and it makes us just as bad as a murderer), but it's better for everyone that some people are locked away forever.

 

It's totally fine, some people are just too dangerous to be let back out into the world.

 

Yes, I think it's fine, but I don't support ideas like 'lock them up in a small, windowless room' or 'hope they get raped in the showers'.

 

Life sentences are very common here in the US, and that's because of the 1980s "get tough on crime" craze. It's very easy for a politician to go to the voters and say, "We're getting tough on crime!"

Most states have mandatory minimum sentences, and here in Michigan, if you're convicted of first-degree murder, the law requires you to be sentenced to life in prison without any chance of parole, no matter the circumstances. I honestly think that it shouldn't be automatic, but most murders, IMO, deserve a life sentence. I'm a bigger fan of life with parole, meaning you have a chance of being released after serving at least 25 years, but there's no guarantee that you're ever going to get out of prison.

Now I didn't know this until I started studying the criminal justice systems of other countries, but apparently in England, life without parole is the equivalent of the death penalty. It's very rare for someone to have no chance of ever being paroled, from what I've heard.

 

I think it depends on the crime really.

 

If they're too dangerous to release back to the public and rehabilitation is impossible, I see nothing wrong with a life sentence.

 

I don't think it's a good thing. I think our focus with criminals should be on rehabilitation. And, if rehabilitation isn't possible, then there are probably mental health issues, in which case they should be transferred to a secure facility that has professionals equipped to meet their needs.

American prisons are overpopulated and one of the reasons is that nobody ever gets released (and we keep putting people in for minor drug offenses). I really think there should be a shift in focus from prisons being punishments to prisons being opportunities for advancement and rehabilitation.

 

I don't know anything about the judiciary system, and I have no statistics, so i'm just going on my personal impression that most life sentences are given to killers. if that's the case, I say the death penalty is better.
Age may matter, if someone is younger in age and his crime does not involve a horrendous murder, then education and rehabilitation should be implemented. people may change, but not a whole lot of them, but anyone deserves a second chance to redeem themselves.
Yes, I am basing my opinion on a hope really that people may change, and by putting myself in a convict's shoes, I would like a second chance for myself, so why not for others ?

 

I think, as some people have said, there are people who are too dangerous to release from prison. I also think there are some crimes worthy of losing your life for -- literally and figuratively (if you take someone else's life, you have no right to your own anymore). Of course, there are plenty of caveats to that and it should be treated in a case by case basis. I don't have much faith in psychology to effectively rehabilitate most criminals. I think a lot of your personality and "evilness" is developed at a young age and would be difficult to reverse without serious help. When I imagine psychologists trying to rehabilitate criminals, I imagine poorly-paid government psychologists who barely made it through school (the good ones will have private practices) and are working with the criminals 1 hour a week... It's not enough... We don't have enough good resources to rehabilitate everyone, imo, even if it could work.

Also, regarding the death penalty, I think some people deserve to have their life taken, and I think it's preferable to life in prison. Although, life in prison is almost a worse punishment. The problem with the death penalty that I don't think will ever be resolved is that many murder cases and other serious crime cases don't seem black and white in their evidence. It don't think you have a right to give someone the death penalty unless you are absolutely sure. That said, it's hard to define when one is "sure" enough, and I don't really trust people with that power. I don't have ethical or moral issues with the death penalty, it's simply not practical.

 

I am all for the life sentences when it comes to dangerous crimes and I am in complete opposition of the death penalty. It is not overly common but it happens when people are found innocent of crimes they were accused of commit ting and released from prison years later. My personal views on abortion are pro life so i think when the death penalty comes into play that life out to be protected. I don't believe in eye for an eye or revenge. I believe in forgiveness and no matter how dangerous a crime is and the person was truly remorseful I would forgive them. It is not that is a christian obligation it is just that i feel so much better when i do forgive and that is why I oppose the death penalty. I respect anyone that find God in prison or out of prison and sometimes being in prison is what gets them to have a strong belief in something. So yeah the life sentences are ok but the death penalty should be outlawed.

 

Yes, if it's justified. I think it's a better option than the death penalty in most cases. But I also think recovery is really overlooked.

 

I do think that the primary force of prison should be rehabilitation. But sadly, there are some people who cannot integrate back into society and be a law abiding citizen. For crimes such as murder, rape, and other comparable crimes, I'd be more inclined to give someone a life sentence than to give them the death penalty as I don't think it's the state's place to kill people. People who commit these crimes often have high recidivism rates, so it has been shown that they usually cannot integrate back into society for whatever reason.

 

*Waits for it...*

 

I'm not really in favour of throwing away the key and can only get behind life prison sentences in a few very exceptional cases. I really don't think the court of public opinion should be allowed to sway the judicial process.

More often than not, the people who commit the most serious of crimes are mentally unstable and in need of psychiatric care. Life detention in prison is not appropriate for anyone with mental health problems.

I've already stated my opinions on capital punishment before. Nothing will persuade me to support it.

 

Depends on the crime and their behavior inside prison.

 

First of all I would just like to state that I hate the insanity plea. Anyone who takes the life of another human without good reason (ie: self defense) clearly has a mental problem to some degree. They shouldn't have their case dismissed or sentence shortened because of it. There's no coming back from death, if you kill someone in first degree murder... You pay the fucking price, I don't care how many "illnesses" you have. If it were up to me, all first degree murders (not including self defense or another valid reason) would be the death penalty. You have no place on this earth whether it be free in the streets or eating off of my tax dollars if your soul is that evil. Bottom Line.

In cases where you kill someone without intent to do so; like you stab someone in the stomach and they bleed to death - I believe those people aren't necessarily the definition of evil. They just made a poor decision that violently back-fired. They deserve to sit in a cell for a few decades, but life or death penalty is a little harsh. Same with drunk drivers who accidentally kill someone else. You do the crime, you pay the price.

 

Exactly my thoughts.

 

I completely agree with you. I do support the death penalty.