Looking further into the issue though of life in prison versus the death penalty though has me thinking. I truly don't think that the death penalty or life in prison is a deterrent for criminals. If one is to be sentenced to the death penalty, the execution doesn't occur quickly to say the least. Prisoners on death row are held for longer and longer periods of time, as shown by the picture below.
Although it is hard to see, the average time spent on death row was about 15 years in 2010. This figure is up from about 6 years in 1984. The time these prisoners spend on death row is something "laughable" according to New York Poster writer Andrea Peyser. In her article, she noted that a professor went to the Connecticut Death Row and was "appaled" by the treatment the inmates receive. A man convicted of raping and burning a family to death, now on death row, has the leisure to take afternoon naps at his leisure, watch color television and eat junk food like Hershey's chocolate bars.
I may seem somewhat brutal when I say this, but I want to see convicted murders suffer. I want to grow up in a world where I need not worry about violent crime. If prisoners started to be treated like prisoners and not like privileged children, I know that crime rates would decrease. I am certain that criminals would avoid committing crimes, conscious of the punishments that lay ahead. For now though, life in prison and even on death row may be a better alternative to the lives some criminals live. Until a change is made, I don't think the United States will see a significant drop in violent crime.
What are your opinions? Do you think treatment to inmates on death row and prison is too soft? Share with a comment below!
No comments:
Post a Comment