Alternatives to the Death Penatly

I can honestly say that my position on the death penalty could change from being against it to being for it if someone close to me were murdered. But since I haven't experienced something like that, it is hard for me to change my stance of being pro-life / anti-death penalty. There is a better way than the death penalty - a morally, socially, and economically bad public policy.

In an environment where prisoners are confined to their cell for 23 hours a day, with no human contact or privacy, constantly being monitored by video cameras, only allowed showers on 3 days each week for up to ten minutes at a time, Super maximum prisons sound like a good alternative. There are no contact visits - prisoners sit behind a plexiglass window. Phone calls are strictly limited along with visitation rights. There are no windows in the cells, and the lights are controlled by the guards and may be left on all night and day. Just imagine living like that for the rest of your life. To me, if I were subjected to this kind of living, where everything was out of my hands and I was not allowed to see the light of day for possibly the rest of my life, I would go insane. I wouldn't want to live.

How are we so sure that the death penalty is a punishment to these killers? For all we know, they might want to die. If so, they might not even feel like they were being punished.

Other alternatives suggested by Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (CUADP) found on their website are:

-"Persons convicted of capital murder should serve a minimum of 25 years
in prison before the possibility of consideration for parole. Please note:
consideration for parole in no way suggests an inmate will receive parole.
Parole boards must abide by strict but fair standards in deciding who should
receive parole. The abolition of parole endangers prison workers. "

-"In certain cases, imprisonment should be for life, With no possibility
of parole - ever. "

-"While in prison, prisoners who are physically and mentally able should
work in jobs which are not slave-like and allow for some dignity and purpose of
life for the inmate. Such work situations create safer conditions for guards and
others who work in prisons. "

-"A portion of the prisoners' earnings should go to pay for their
incarceration, and a portion should go into a fund for the victims of violent
crime and their survivors. This would allow for a restitution fund for social,
psychological and religious help for victims and survivor families. Such funds
could also provide financial help for families which have lost a wage earner to
murder. "

(http://www.cuadp.org/altern.html)

While none of these can undo the damage done of having killed someone, neither can the death penalty. In the end all it does is promote more killing rather than preventing it; on it's face, it is murder done by the government.

In response to "Too Much Money"

In response to "Too Much Money"
In response to Josh's article, I thought it was well written with valid points and can see where he is coming from. He believes that the proposal of Texas granting $3 billion to cancer research is too much and Texas will not benefit, especially if no cure is found. While I agree that $3 billion is a high number and think perhaps it should not all be given at one time, I do believe granting money for cancer research is a good idea.

On a personal level, because my best friend had cancer and beat it, and because I have lost family to it and am therefore at a greater risk for getting it, I would much rather see money going towards cancer research than to the war in Iraq.

Thirty-five thousand people die from cancer a year in Texas alone; compare that to the 3,000 casualties from September 11th, and the billions of dollars that are going towards the war in Iraq, sparked from September 11, which is killing more people than saving people. Not that those fallen on 9/11 should not receive justice, I'm just saying that money could just as well be going towards finding cures for cancer, and other deadly diseases.

Even if no cure is found right away, the money spent is used for a good purpose and contributes to bringing researchers that much closer to finding a cure.