Life and Death Row BBC3

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

On Chopping Days, when I worked in the Medeveal East, I was told it only cured the repeat offender!

Kernow666

knowing what our judicial system is like if we ever did bring back the death penalty it wouldnt be too long before we hung the wrong bloke

SandC

fivetide wrote: »

Theirin lies another issue though.

Rehabilitiation, doesn't really work. Punishments, don't really work.

Prisons have always been full of people who reoffend on a regular basis. Whilst you might catch the odd one that gets their by accident the vast majority are not first time ofenders.

It isn't difficult to pull the stats for this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18188610 90% of those done for serious crimes had done so before, many with 15+ convictions.

this is despite all the improvements in education, training conditions etc etc all at great expense tot he taxpayer.

Personally, I'd ditch the niceties. Why do we live in a world where someone like Anders Brevik (100% guilty and a great candidate for a death sentence) can kick up a fuss because his PlayStation is an old model? http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/02/25/anders-breivik-prison-video-games_n_4852786.html

Prison should be about keeping people safe from those who are put inside and punishment for those who are in there. People don't change unless they want to unfortunately, no matter how much money you throw at it.

IMHO of course

Strange though that in the US, where some States DO have the death penalty, they also do not attempt rehabilitation with offenders who commit the type of crimes (murder) that might lead to execution. I've watched many documentaries on their prisons and the sentences given out mean that when are given life it does mean life - and often a life sentence many times over. A life sentence over there does mean that they won't reoffend because they will never be let out to do so.

Of course here we have the argument of the cost of keeping someone incarcerated, but for me personally I don't see the point of a life sentence only meaning 25 years in prison.

Rottensocks

Where you still have issues like the Lawrence enquiry going on, with corruption and poor police conduct being rife, you can't possibly suggest that death penalty is appropriate.

There is also something startlingly inhumane about angry crowds baying for another's blood..... not something we should aspire to IMO.

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

Just watching it. I dont agree with the death penalty and think there are other options available - that said, I've never lost someone through murder etc but i can imagine why people agree with it.

What i'm shocked at (Probably not the right word) is how open they are talking to the little girl and telling her whats happening. Surely, at that age, the little girl doesnt need to know these things exist

but thats my opinion.. .

rpc

fivetide wrote: »

Rehabilitiation, doesn't really work.

Plenty of countries successfully rehabilitate a significant number of criminals.

The great British public, however, don't want rehabilitation. They just want punishment. It is no surprise that we have such a high reoffending rate. Any steps to improve rehabilitation are labelled as 'soft' and get rejected by the electorate.

SandC wrote: »

I don't see the point of a life sentence only meaning 25 years in prison.

A life sentence means life in prison, but we might let you out after <tariff> years have passed (or we might not). If you are released, you will be on licence for life - one small trangression and you are recalled to prison.

fivetide

rpc wrote: »

Plenty of countries successfully rehabilitate a significant number of criminals.

The great British public, however, don't want rehabilitation. They just want punishment. It is no surprise that we have such a high reoffending rate. Any steps to improve rehabilitation are labelled as 'soft' and get rejected by the electorate.

Sure?

So prisoners are still locked up 23 hours a day?

They still slop out?

They don't have access to education or training inside?

They don't have TVs and games consoles?

To my mind all of that hasn't helped. People commit crime when the prisons really are hell. The commit just as much crime when we spend a fortune on them so to that end, prisons should be cheap to run without extras. TV should be educational, not entertaining for example

Good lord we can't send a convicted [EMAIL="M&#64;fia"]M@fia[/EMAIL] boss back to Italy because Italian prisons (a nicely developed western country) are too over crowded and it might be against his rights.

Where is the justice there? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-26612261

stu20vt

rpc wrote: »

Plenty of countries successfully rehabilitate a significant number of criminals.

The great British public, however, don't want rehabilitation. They just want punishment. It is no surprise that we have such a high reoffending rate. Any steps to improve rehabilitation are labelled as 'soft' and get rejected by the electorate.

Depends on the crime...I'm all for rehabilitation if the offender had commited a 'lesser' crime, but for murder etc then they should not need to be rehabilitated because they should never be freed.

PS I do not believe in the death penalty for many many reasons, but I do believe some offences should carry a full life term, possibly in harsher conditions than our prison hotels currently offer.

koan_2

And what do the hang 'em all brigade have to say about cases like that of Trupti Patel, and Angela Cannings?

Both women were found guilty of murdering their babies based on the 'evidence' of a so-called expert and both were later acquitted. These women have lost their babies to cot-death, and could so easily have then been sent to the gallows, had they been tried a few decades ago.

Pretty sobering thought.

System

I watched the programme this morning. What a waste of airtime that was.


Executions = Legalized murder. Just lock them up in a cell and throw away the key.:mad: