repeal the death penalty?????
Here in MD legislation is being introduced to permanently abolish the death penalty. Why?
If used correctly this could be a very good deterant for criminals however its use has been declining since the 1950's. Let's take a look at the numbers: Executions per year:
1926 - 2
1927 - 4
1928 - 3
1932 - 3
1935 - 4
1936 - 2
1938 - 2
1940 - 6
1941 - 5
1942 - 5
1943 - 6
1944 - 4
1945 - 4
1946 - 5
1947 - 4
1948 - 4
1949 - 3
There were others in the years in between, but usually only one per year in those years. In 1961 there was ONE execution and then there is a HUGE GAP untill 1994 when ONE more execution was performed. There was one execution also in each 1997 and 1998.
How can something be deemed inaffective when its only disfunction is non-use? Look at the population differences from present day and compare them to the 1920's 1930's and 1940's!!! Shouldn't the number of executions have gone UP significantly seeing as how we have WAY more people in our state now than we did then?
Sure, innocent people go to prison. Sure, we need an appeals process, which we have already, in place. But how many times should someone fail to prove their innocence before you just say 'alright then, enough tax-paying dollars spent to feed and house you. you're not innocent after your second or third appeal so it's time for you to actually pay for the crime in which you continue to be guilty of committing.'?????
This kinder/gentler thought process has spread to those in law enforcement as dicussed in my last blog entry. WHY???? Where is this state going to find the money to keep creating new prisons to house the influx of criminals growing up in or relocating to this area? Why should the taxpayers be burdened with putting up convicted murderers in life-long hotels feeding them well, giving them a relaxing responsibility free stay for life? Studies are now showing that those in the prison system are living longer than the rest of our population because they have NO STRESS, and NO RESPONSIBILTIES!!!! Of course they live longer! No bills to pay, no medical care to worry about, no groceries to buy, no job to attend everyday, recreation FOUR times a day, candy and ice cream on holidays, visits with family and friends FOUR TIMES A WEEK and ZERO responsibilty for your actions past present or future....
1955 - the last hanging in the state. Too cruel
1961 - although still pretty new this is the LAST execution by gas chamber in the state. (Gas chamber is the white Protrusion on the wall with the windows in it on the far wall in the picture above..)
1994 - new change to lethal injection. This would take care of John Thanos in 1994 - remember him? nice guy....
I have been in the room where the gas chamber sits.(see picture above) I have seen the table Thanos comfortably lay on for his lethal injection. Lethal injection generally takes SEVEN minutes. The worst pain the offender feels is the first stick of the first needle. After that they don't feel anything. Ever gotten a needle? Who hasn't? Not that much of an inconvenience, getting a needle.... How about the victims? Their families? Think that pain went away as fast as a needle stick? Certainly not.
It's time to start treating violent criminals like the people that they are. Or aren't....
I believe it's time to start using the death penalty the way it was intended. Special exeptions have been made to protect the mentally retarded etc. etc. The only way to allow it to deter is to USE IT. We should be executing MANY MANY people per year for the things they have done. If you cannot be found to be innocent after two appeals, then you are guilty. We have things like DNA evidence now, and some of the best forensics available. In this day and age if you are guilty, YOU ARE GUILTY!!!!! Some people will say that life in prison is punishment enough, or even cruel and unusual punishment, but it's not. If the judge/jury says death, lets hold them to that. Not every Tom Dick and Harry who murders someone even faces the CHANCE of the death penalty. Only those heinous crimes meet the criteria for this. Why is that so hard to understand??
Anyway, ask for a blog entry and you shall receive.... Gotta go!
Visit : http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/publicinfo/capitalpunishment/ for more information. This is mostly historical data...
posted by Z-Man @ 6:18 AM
11 Comments:
Why thank you, sir! I shall craft a more appropriate response later.
I'm violating my "no comment" rule--hubboy...
1) Google "Kirk Bloodsworth".
2) Did you ever see the movie "The Life of David Gale"?
3) [quoting your post] "But how many times should someone fail to prove their innocence..." I dunno, something about that comment just stood out to me.
On a personal note, I used to be strongly in favor of capital punishment, but in the last couple of years as I contemplate the matter more, I'm reconsidering my position. Is it a little two-sided for the government to say "it's not ok for you to kill someone, but it's ok for us to kill you"?
If one innocent person is wrongly executed, the system is flawed. And I know that prison life is a cakewalk, what with the visitations and candy and ice cream and no responsibilities, but it may just be a worse punishment to be sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole than the "easy out" of execution.
My 2 cents; I won't comment further.
Three executions in Maryland since 1961. Functionally, Maryland doesn't even have capital punishment.
The state web site that lists the executions makes no mention of the number of homicides in Maryland or the number of people on "death row". I thought this was important to understand -- are we killing 1% of the people on death row each year, or 10% or 80%?
Turns out Maryland only has 6 people on death row right now (http://www.mdcase.org/death_penalty/deathrow.htm). I couldn't find year-by-year stats but since the state isn't killing them I have to assume that the number has been pretty constant -- I suppose a number could have died of other causes while waiting on death row, but it's not like Maryland is sentencing 100 men to death every year and only getting around to killing one of them each decade... there isn't a growing backlog on death row.
Which is actually a little surprising. Eyeballing the crime stats for Maryland (http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/mdcrime.htm), there have been an average of about 500 homicides per year for the past 20 years. 10,000 people killed and only 6 people sentenced to death. Why bother having a death penalty if you're not going to use it?
If you really want to start putting people to death for crimes in Maryland (and apparently you really really do), I think your best strategy is to get rid of the death penalty for now. Let the new Democrat governor outlaw it, and Republicans can accuse him of the old 'soft-on-crime Liberal' routine. Then if a Republican ever gets back to Annapolis, they can bring back capital punishment with much fanfare and maybe make it more accessible to criminal prosecutors so they'll actually use it; heck maybe give out cash bonuses for death sentences -- you know, something with real bite. Better yet, let police just shoot criminals dead and then find the criminal guilty posthumously (since they're likely guilty anyhow -- added bonus: this would save a ton of money in court costs). Just think of how our prison population would decrease!
Which raises an interesting point -- why would you be in favor of decreasing our prison population? If there aren't enough people to fill our prisons, you'll be out of a job. Whoops.
Wolske, that will NEVER be a problem -- filling prisons... NEVER. Actually the problem tends to work the other way. Too many people being incarcerated equals overcrowding and very hostile environments for 'us' in the correctional field. The state isn't going to build any more prisons anytime soon, and the one's we have are filled to the brim and then some.
I guess I wouldn't be for the death penalty if some other real deterant was introduced. It doesn't even have to be a lethal deterant, just something that will actually DETER crime/criminals etc. etc.
I suppose some of you would also reconsider defending our country too, as this definitely entails killing people also. I know, why not just invite the anti-war tirades... but really. These things are put in place for your safety and peace of mind, and that of your children and so on and so forth. Sometimes people have to die. I agree that murder is wrong. Absolutely. But unfortunately the other side doesn't believe they are doing anything wrong, either because they kill out of the need for money/drugs/food or in the name of some prophet guy that interpreted the bible(third person accounting) and dubbed in the 'Koran'.
The main theme in this posting mostly says use it or lose it. We aren't, and haven't been using it, unfortunately this invites the why do we even have it crowd. We may never see it put to proper use as society will not allow that any more. Unfortunately I see nothing moving in to replace it as a deterant also. What I would really like is for everyone to stop crying when police use force in order to protect lives, and to stop decriminalizing those who are killed by police (who were in the process of/just did commit deadly crime) when an imminant threat is posed to officers and/or the public.
I know innocent people have gone to death. We are now in an age were evidence collection/storage and examination are better than ever. As we can see by the number of people on death row, a whole 6, that the death penalty isn't imposed in every murder case. Not hardly. The evidence against someone, and the crime committed have to be so heinous and convincing that hardly anyone who murders someone faces the chance of being put to death. In the past mistakes have been made. Obviously there was ENOUGH evidence to put those people in prison for a crime.
I'm not even going to start on the cost of keeping people in prison, or on death row until they die of natural causes sucking up meds food and resources that could be put to work helping in the surrounding communities helping this state's homeless/indigent families....Instead let's just raise taxes and complain about their being no money in the budget for new schools/roads etc.etc. Sure.
#1 - What the heck are you talking about? Raising taxes?
#2 - You seem to basing your whole case on the fact that the death penalty is an effective deterrant to people that are about to commit heinous crimes. It seems that there is no conclusive evidence either way. Studies have been released that try to prove each side, but none of them are very convincing.
The last time I was on the verge of killing somebody, it wasn't capital punishment that stopped me from doing it -- it was a basic understanding of right and wrong. If offenders can't see the line between right and wrong, either because they are morally corrupt or because they are stark-raving mad at that moment, then they are going to kill. If you can come up with an effective deterrant for that, congratulations and please let the rest of us know.
By your logic, the lack of capital punishment (in nations like, say, Canada) should result in dramatically more murders, since they have nothing to fear except a cake-walk in a "life-long hotel" (I can't believe you said that). I bet Canadian prisons are even nicer than American prisons, with free poutine at lunch and Hockey Night in Canada on the tele. So why aren't more Canadians killing each other? (Or instead of Canada, any number of low-violence European countries?)
sorry I went on a tangent. but I think you had a good point in your response. You said you wouldn't be for the death penalty some other deterrant was introduced.
What really deters criminals?
Canadians aren't killing each other because the government took away all the guns..... just kidding, it's because they are sooooo polite, nope that's not it either.... maybe it's because Poutine just makes the world a happier place... or just maybe it's because the stats don't count frenchies as 'people'........ BTW, have you seen my new tattoo?
My favorite quote to come out of this brouhaha is the following, from Lisa Gladden, a supporter of the bill:
"I don't think any legislator wants blood on their hands if we put to death an innocent person," Gladden said.
I love this! You finally have people in the state house concerned for the innocents! It looks like PRM will be right behind South Dakota, then. Right?
yeah, lovely. tattoos larger than coinage aren't my thing.
Yes, it is lovely. Not my thing either, which is why it is on Jon's arm instead of mine.
However, as an artist, I can appreciate the craftsmanship.
Actually there are some huge differences in corrections here vs. in Canada. Canadian corrections aims to rehabilitate through a society like environment, balancing carefully the treat them like normal people living in a 'community' (although still a prison) and the american lock em up and throw away the key (as if that actually happens anymore either.
"#2 - You seem to basing your whole case on the fact that the death penalty is an effective deterrant to people..." ?? When?? Perhaps was SUPPOSED to be...
The point is that something like this WAS setup to deter. No it doesn't, and it hasn't, and it probably won't, but we will never get to see that anyway.
And yes, amazingly, it cost you and I ALOT of money (ie: taxes we pay) to house/clothe/feed/put up with these people. Prison is definitely not free. In states like Washington, everyone in prison is required to have a job of some sort, paying everyday for their housing, food, medicines. I believe it costs them about five dollars a day to live, 40 cents a meal to eat, and three or four dollars everytime they see the doctors. Now don't get me wrong, these people aren't paying for themselves, but they are however deffering some of the funds (like millions) that the state would have pumped into the facilities. Prison costs money.
Canada? European countries? Look at the population differences here. No wonder numbers are lower... Not to mention politeness... gramatical correctness.....
I don't believe that anything we have seen yet truly will deter heinous criminals, unless they find a gene related to this, and destroy it from the pool..... I believe that accountability and a real punishment are a start. But really, to live the rest of your natural life on the state/federal government? Not punishment enough. At least death is final. No more crimes commited by THAT guy.....
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