Life in prison or Execution?

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Descartes

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
13,968
2
0
I was going to say prison until I saw that you said confinement. 23 hours a day in a cell (I think that's what death row inmates get)? No thanks.
 

summit

Platinum Member
Sep 27, 2001
2,097
0
0
Life in prison. It's like free retirement. I'd give it up to Bubba three times a week for free meals, TV, and a nice cell.
 

Saint Michael

Golden Member
Aug 4, 2007
1,877
1
0
What kind of paper is this? Most prisoners aren't on death row, what's the point of asking whether one prefers prison or execution when you keep modifying the circumstances of the prison sentence to make it as unbearable as possible? Why not stick with reality?
 

Josh

Lifer
Mar 20, 2000
10,917
0
0
Originally posted by: Summit
Life in prison. It's like free retirement. I'd give it up to Bubba three times a week for free meals, TV, and a nice cell.

:Q
 

imported_Imp

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2005
9,148
0
0
I'd rather not have to countdown to death day, so life in prison. Or maybe I do want to be able to countdown to when the suckage ends...
 

cdmccool

Golden Member
Mar 21, 2006
1,041
0
0
I'm finding it extremely difficult to choose execution. I have no idea what comes after death, if anything, and depending on what that is/isn't, life in prison might be the better choice.
 

Leros

Lifer
Jul 11, 2004
21,867
7
81
Being in confinement all day would be horrible. I couldn't do it for a day without feeling like crap and being extremely depressed.
 

Excelsior

Lifer
May 30, 2002
19,047
18
81
I wonder how many of those sentenced to death try to fight it vs. those who accept the sentence?
 

RESmonkey

Diamond Member
May 6, 2007
4,818
2
0
Originally posted by: Josh
Run. I vowed if I ever had to serve more than a 4 year prison term I'd flee the country ...not that I plan on it but I just always had this discussion with my friends.

Assuming they already have you in custody, and you can't flee. Of course, if there was a chance, I'd flee too. :)
 

Josh

Lifer
Mar 20, 2000
10,917
0
0
Originally posted by: RESmonkey
Originally posted by: Josh
Run. I vowed if I ever had to serve more than a 4 year prison term I'd flee the country ...not that I plan on it but I just always had this discussion with my friends.

Assuming they already have you in custody, and you can't flee. Of course, if there was a chance, I'd flee too. :)

I'd go to prison and try for my entire life (literally) to escape :p
 

Madwand1

Diamond Member
Jan 23, 2006
3,309
0
76
Messiaen composed brilliantly while in prison (as a PoW). Some others have thought and written brilliantly as political prisoners. While these cases are not the same as those for more mundane criminality and people, they show that even in prison, people can have freedom of thought and work with their minds. Even if they accomplish nothing more than some slight understanding of themselves, it would better than the alternative in most cases IMO.
 

m1ldslide1

Platinum Member
Feb 20, 2006
2,321
0
0
Originally posted by: Farang
Originally posted by: Modelworks
Originally posted by: bignateyk
Originally posted by: Farang
Prison. I could write, lift weights, maybe they have educational programs too.

unless you are in solitary confinement or on death row. I don't think you get much time out of your cell on death row.

From what I have seen on lockup on msnbc, they get 1 hour per day outside, thats it .

Better than 24 hours in a coffin every day

I think that's a poor comparison - if you're dead then theoretically time ceases to be a concept. In fact everything does, to such an extent that you're physically incapable of comprehending it. Sort of like what life was like before you were born. Were you bored waiting?

I voted execution. It's an exponentially easier way out, and ultimately you reach the same final conclusion anyway. It's just a matter of whether or not you want to suffer for a few decades before the inevitable.
 

Josh

Lifer
Mar 20, 2000
10,917
0
0
It came to me as kind of a revelation...
that my own freedom lay in not wanting...
or needing anything of which they could deprive me.
If punishment consisted of being locked in your cell,
then by simply choosing to never leave my cell,
I deprived them of that weapon.
I would not work in their shops. I would not eat their food.

From that moment on,
I decided to take control of my life.
I made up my mind to turn my body...
into a weapon.
I would be a warrior-scholar.
I boxed. I went to school.
I began reading- W.E.B. Du Bois, Richard Wright.
So I gave up all the worthless luxury...
that most inmates crave.
The girlie books, fags,
cigarettes, the movies- I hated them.
In fact, I hated everyone.
I didn't even speak English. I spoke hate.
And its verbs were fists.
I made up my mind...
to turn my body into a weapon...
that would eventually set me free...
or kill anyone who sought to keep me in prison.


 

thecoolnessrune

Diamond Member
Jun 8, 2005
9,673
583
126
Execution. If I ever unlawfully kill someone, I would expect to be killed myself.

If I was wrongfully convicted, I'd rather they just killed me than live everyday in prison. It may corrupt me so much that I'd become someone I'd despise far more than the law that put me in there.
 

RESmonkey

Diamond Member
May 6, 2007
4,818
2
0
Originally posted by: Josh
It came to me as kind of a revelation...
that my own freedom lay in not wanting...
or needing anything of which they could deprive me.
If punishment consisted of being locked in your cell,
then by simply choosing to never leave my cell,
I deprived them of that weapon.
I would not work in their shops. I would not eat their food.

From that moment on,
I decided to take control of my life.
I made up my mind to turn my body...
into a weapon.
I would be a warrior-scholar.
I boxed. I went to school.
I began reading- W.E.B. Du Bois, Richard Wright.
So I gave up all the worthless luxury...
that most inmates crave.
The girlie books, fags,
cigarettes, the movies- I hated them.
In fact, I hated everyone.
I didn't even speak English. I spoke hate.
And its verbs were fists.
I made up my mind...
to turn my body into a weapon...
that would eventually set me free...
or kill anyone who sought to keep me in prison.

Who wrote this? That's very good.
 

Damn Dirty Ape

Diamond Member
Nov 1, 1999
3,310
0
76
well for me it would depend on how old I was ... 60's probably life... 20's probably execution.

then you have to take into account was it something I would regret doing for the human reasons or would I regret more getting caught?

lots of aspects that could come into play.
 

NanoStuff

Banned
Mar 23, 2006
2,981
1
0
Largely depends whether prisoners would be granted access to medical technologies of the future that greatly expand natural lifespan, or whether they would be limited to general care.

It may seem obvious that the prison system would not desire to have inmates live 300 years, however human rights groups would be all over restrictions to modern medical means.

A life term as it is known today doesn't mean 'forever', it means 60, at worst 100 years. If the prisoner ends up living ridiculously long, eventually someone is going to figure they can't keep the fella behind bars any longer if he doesn't even remember why he's there.

I would take my chances with prison for this reason. 'life' in prison is only so long. Plus, internet access will probably be ubiquitous in prisons soon, so browsing the interwebs for 100 years wouldn't be so bad.
 

dainthomas

Lifer
Dec 7, 2004
14,931
3,910
136
Originally posted by: Imp
I'd rather not have to countdown to death day, so life in prison. Or maybe I do want to be able to countdown to when the sucking ends...

fixed
 

summit

Platinum Member
Sep 27, 2001
2,097
0
0
Originally posted by: RESmonkey
Originally posted by: Josh
It came to me as kind of a revelation...
that my own freedom lay in not wanting...
or needing anything of which they could deprive me.
If punishment consisted of being locked in your cell,
then by simply choosing to never leave my cell,
I deprived them of that weapon.
I would not work in their shops. I would not eat their food.

From that moment on,
I decided to take control of my life.
I made up my mind to turn my body...
into a weapon.
I would be a warrior-scholar.
I boxed. I went to school.
I began reading- W.E.B. Du Bois, Richard Wright.
So I gave up all the worthless luxury...
that most inmates crave.
The girlie books, fags,
cigarettes, the movies- I hated them.
In fact, I hated everyone.
I didn't even speak English. I spoke hate.
And its verbs were fists.
I made up my mind...
to turn my body into a weapon...
that would eventually set me free...
or kill anyone who sought to keep me in prison.

Who wrote this? That's very good.

Rubin "Hurricane" Carter... Wrongfully convicted boxer.