Why do people choose a life of crime - knowing that prison or death is a certainity?
106039
I don't think most people involved in crime consciously "choose" a life of crime. It's probably true that some are addicted to the adrenaline rush. But, why are they addicted? What are they doing if they're not "choosing"? \n\nI think it's a natural, but negative reaction to one thing: not getting what they needed. I think all people, without exception, need love in one form or another. You've probably heard it said that someone who was abused as a child is very likely to abuse as a parent. Why? Of all people, they should know better. It's because of unmet needs. Yes, needs are that critical. The person can't "grow up" and pretend love was not needed simply because they somehow managed to get older. They bring that unmet need with them, and they resent it deeply and bitterly. They are actually motivated to harm the one (the child) who is now getting what they were denied.\n\nSome of the most hideous and heartless criminals, such as serial killers, don't think they did anything wrong. Incredible! How could this be? It's because they are literally "heartless." They've run out of compassion and empathy because they never received any and have no idea what it feels like. \n\nSpeaking of feeling, this is a deep need also. Someone who is addicted to any kind of emotional high - whether it's adrenaline rush, alcohol, drugs, or sex - is desperately trying to awaken the sensation of emotional feelings. Most likely, however, they are completely unaware that this is what they're doing. It's become so hard for them to feel love that it takes a very hard substance, like crime, to get them to feel anything at all. To them, any feeling is better than no feeling.\n\nBut, the acts must get more instense in order to satisfy that cycle. So, it just spirals until it either: ends in death, prison (which may only change the substance), or they repent. Some criminals can change. Most are too lost in the dark, hate the truth, hate the light, or whatever you want to call it.\n\nAs you can guess, the opposite is also true. Someone who has a keen sense of being loved is acutely aware of emotional needs, the need to serve others, and how precious that love is. They are more likely to be assertive, honest, confident, etc. It's only then that one is really free to make a choice.
564104
this is a good point you are making. the law and the courts are to soft.the victim never comes first. l think life should mean life. and they should serve all there sentance none of this being let out earley. there is plenty of room to make more jails and there is also plenty of people looking for a job.
800060
I am so torn on the death penalty issue... I don't have a stance yet.\n\nFrom a strictly economical side, I'm against the death penalty, because I've heard in multiple places that it costs 2-3 times more than life in prison w/o parole.\n\nFrom a moral standpoint, it's hard to say.  Killing someone removes them once and for all as a threat.  Granted, while in jail they are only a threat to other inmates and the prison guards, but still, you cannot make a blanket judgment on whether those people (in the case of the other prisoners) deserve the threat, or (in the case of the guards) willingly accept the threat by being in that job.  Also, there's always the chance of escape.  You don't have that chance with death.\n\nIn addition, there's the obvious fact that if you accept the death penalty, almost regardless of standards for conviction, you're going to eventually get an innocent person in there.  Making the standards for conviction extremely high just leads to multiple expensive appeals, which brings us back to the economic reason to be against it.  It also makes the death penalty so rare that any appeal to it being a deterrent is just silly at that point, because even if you are convicted you'd have to be one of the unlucky ones to get the chair.\n\nIn fact, I have not seen any evidence that it actually serves as a deterrent, regardless of the extensiveness of its use.\n\nI do believe that the highest value must be placed on human life, but when you have one human life that continues to threaten others, isn't it respecting that value to end their life?\n\nI don't know.  I'm an atheist struggling to have a position on this.
579630
I believe in life in prison without parole for those criminals that have proven to be an ongoing threat to society.  I think it costs us far more to execute them than it would for us to keep them locked up forever.  However, the death sentence does not bother me.  I believe there are people who cannot be changed and that they are evil.  The sex of the person does not enter into it for me.  Would I carry out the execution?  I would not take the job.  If I were forced to do it, or the person would go free?  I would execute them.  My fear in letting them go would be that they would kill again or harm a child.  I couldn't live with that on my conscience.  Anyway I didn't sentence them to die.  I just carried out the sentence of the court.  Of course this answer is based on what I know of the courts of the U.S.A.  I would not carry out a death sentence in another country.  In some cases the sentence may have been handed out simply for being a Christian.
78682
The principle here is not that they are able to kill people but for what reason. The execution of a known felon who has him/herself murdered countless lives has forfeited his/her right to live under the eyes of the law. If he/she were to be set free and thus cause more deaths on the population it is justified to take his life for the general good. They are against violence, random and senseless violence that is. Sanctioned killings whereby a person has commited crimes deemed irreconcievable in the eyes of the community is not a crime nor hyprocracy but justified and necessary. As for war it depends on the reason, to the defence of life and country it is a noble cause, for an outster of a regime not friendly to a country that is selfcentered hyprocracy for a nation that cherishes life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
240893
Yes.\n\nThe death penalty is not about getting even.  It's about controlling criminal intent.  Once criminals see that you are easy on violent crime, crimes will multiply.\n\nStates that have and enforce the death penalty have far fewer violent crimes.  Criminals there are afraid of the consequences of murder.  That's good for all of us.
1034800
Execution can be viewed as the physical manifestation of Justice carried out on those found guilty of killing.\n\nI doubt death penalty advocates are really getting off knowing that criminals are dying.  The argument that never seems to be heard is that, aside from being a (alleged) deterrent to crime, the death penalty allows Justice to be done.  When one takes another life, it isn't hypocritical to take the life of the killer-- it is Justice.  It would threaten our integrity as a Just society, a crime far worse than hypocrisy some would argue, if our society allowed one of the most heinous crimes to go (relatively) unpunished.
101003
Absolutely! Everyone in this world has one life to live, and if for someone reason you see a reason to break the law and cause problems then you'll end up sitting in tiny prison cell waisting away part or even all of your life, what a way to live. You can miss out on all the great things in the world while in jail, once a this hits a prisoner don't you think they couldn't think of a worse punishment; other than death or sometype of injury. As for murdoc's thoughts.. An eye for an eye makes the world blind.
152621
Capital punishment serves as the best deterent. There will be crime though but the penalty for getting caught will be severe so lesser crimes can be expected.\n\nIn my opinion, everyone has done one thing or the other in his/her life, an inmate is one who gets caught the rest are innocent. No one actually is.
472254
Life in Prison plus 20, but I think they are also considering the death penalty.
134979
life is uncertain. death is certain.
45288
I think because we have a true fear of violence and death and there is a tendency to be drawn to things that we fear.  Maybe to better understand it and maybe so that we can experience it outside of ourselves.  I also think that there are some really sick people out there and they thrive off of harm to others and want to do the harm themselves but do not want to deal with the consequences of those type of actions.
628679
Most murderers have low self esteem, so the act of murdering is the way they make themselves feel big.  If they aren't a killer at heart (which some people can actually be) then they may feel remorse and actually want to get caught. \n\n(You can learn a lot of this crap watching Court TV.)
963657
Many people are in favor of the death penalty for certain criminals who are deemed worthless to society. How is euthanizing severely disabled babies different than killing a criminal? Both are making value judgements about a life.\n\nI am a liberal, and I am conflicted about such questions. Why pay to keep someone alive if they will never contribute to society? And, why keep a severely disabled child alive that will be a drain on society? But, life is precious; how can we as humans effectively decide that a life is worthless when we cannot know the ultimate outcome?
571371
I think we are brought here and a path choosen for us to provide to others. You ask then what about murderers and the the lot...well their path was choosen but not followed..but those that run the prisons and handle the criminals are following theirs....everyone has an opinion...be it right or wrong...
516119
America has had a debate over both issues for many years now.Sentencing persons to death for their crimes has been around for centuries.So has the practice of abortion dating back 5000 years or more.The whole debate is based on ones own morale beliefs.There lies the debate the struggle between the beliefs of individuals.It is a very hard decision to enforce the moral beliefs of one on another individual. If society as a whole can come to a consensus that no form of death of human life is acceptable or a that terminating a life is acceptable in abortion or in capital punishment.I wont insert my beliefs here but I do agree that there is a contradiction between the two.One human life needs to be viewed equally to another.
976595
It is a society within a society. You will find people there from all walks of life. As a prisoner, you are told what to do all the time and everything is very predictable. Then there are differences depending on the level of security of the prison. In minimun security prisons you have some freedom, whereas in maximin security prisons you are locked up like 23 hours per day. People day value things more, a pencil, an extra apple on your plate, a cigarrete, etc.