Life in prison vs death

[Syringer]

This.

I don't think any of us can imagine the horror of what it feels like knowing with absolute certainty that within a few minutes you will be strapped to a table, injected with poison and put down like a dog.

Or the possibility that life for the next 60 years involves living in a tiny cell with a roommate named Bubba and community showers with other convicted murderers/rapists.

 

[ichy]

It's probably a lot nicer than being gang raped

I think you've seen too many episodes of Oz.

I suggest you read Kirk Bloodsworth's book (he was falsely convicted of raping and murdering a young girl in Maryland in the 1980s, was later resentenced to life in prison and then ultimately cleared by DNA testing.) This was someone who was convicted of the kind of crime that even other prison inmates hate, locked up in one of the oldest, most decrepit and dangerous prisons in the country, the old Maryland Penitentiary in Baltimore. Despite all that he knew damn well that a life sentence was much, much better than being sent to the gas chamber.

 

[Murloc]

I think that most of the people who voted death would not really give up if sentenced to death.
If you rationally think in front of your computer death is the best choice, but when you know you will be killed on date XX.XX.XXXX you feel it in the guts and you won't be happy about it.

 

[ichy]

Or the possibility that life for the next 60 years involves living in a tiny cell with a roommate named Bubba and community showers with other convicted murderers/rapists.

Like I said, if life in prison is that horrendous then why don't more death row inmates drop their appeals, and why don't more lifers commit suicide?

 

[SunnyD]

I'd go life. Reason? Easy - they'd let me out in about 4 years because the prisons are overcrowded already. Plus that'd be enough time to get a free Master's degree and set up a few internet companies too, all on the taxpayer's dime.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I'd choose life over death in any scenario I can imagine. I'd certainly choose life in prison over death. For me, life is always better than death. If it was death vs. life as an bed-ridden invalid wracked with daily pain I'd still choose life. There are bad things in life, but death is the ultimate bad thing.

 

[Mide]

Life in prison = absolutely nothing to look forward to. Death is fine with me.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Life in prison = absolutely nothing to look forward to. Death is fine with me.

Escape? Vindication by DNA evidence? Sentence overturned or reduced at some point?

Life sentence isn't necessarely a life sentence for 100% certain.

 

[ShawnD1]

Life in prison = absolutely nothing to look forward to. Death is fine with me.

You don't enjoy prison rape? What are you? Gay or something?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MOtz-eJlPE

This one is actually a documentary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4_uvvcaDqw&feature=related


I think I'd make a great prison guard. If people pissed me off, we'd seal the wing and fill it with gaseous ammonia to fix the overcrowding problem. It would also clean the walls because ammonia cleans everything.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

I'd choose life over death in any scenario I can imagine. I'd certainly choose life in prison over death. For me, life is always better than death. If it was death vs. life as an bed-ridden invalid wracked with daily pain I'd still choose life. There are bad things in life, but death is the ultimate bad thing.

I don't understand this "fear of death" mentality. I'm only going to choose life if I have a reasonable quality of life, where I'm (mostly) sane and able to enjoy some sort of activities and relationships with friends and family. If I am bed-ridden and in chronic pain, with absolutely no chance of recovery, I would choose death. Why live when I can't enjoy my own life and contribute to helping others?

Regarding crime rates in general, they're mostly affected by disparities in wealth. Look at Brazil for example: worst wealth distribution in the world, and some of the highest crime rates. The ghettos are scary there.

This is not to say we should live in a communist society, but under a capitalist society with less income disparity, crime is decreased and people are generally happier.

As for the original question, I'd choose prison. In a Canadian prison, I'd be able to play golf, work out, get another degree, read a lot of books and write. I would have free meals and a place to sleep. Hell, I'd even be up for a bit of manual labour so I can contribute to the economy.

 

[PingSpike]

Escape? Vindication by DNA evidence? Sentence overturned or reduced at some point?

Life sentence isn't necessarely a life sentence for 100% certain.

The topic title clearly says "life in prison" versus death.

The death row guys don't kill themselves since they're probably kings of the prison, raping it up and know how to live in there.

 

[ichy]

The death row guys don't kill themselves since they're probably kings of the prison, raping it up and know how to live in there.

Most death row inmates are kept segregated from the general population. As far as I know Missouri is the only state that mixes condemned inmates in with the regular maximum security population.

 

[PingSpike]

Most death row inmates are kept segregated from the general population. As far as I know Missouri is the only state that mixes condemned inmates in with the regular maximum security population.

That's even better than being king of the prison.

 

[DangerAardvark]

That's even better than being king of the prison.

Yeah, but you can't "rape it up" when you're locked in your cell all day. All you can do is jack off and create poop sculptures.



LOL "raping it up".