Death penalty halted in PA

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Even death penalty supporters would have to admit Pennsylvania's death penalty is a massive, pointless waste that never gets used, much like California. The only people ever executed in Pennsylvania are inmates who voluntarily waived all their appeals.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Can anyone cite any statistics that show that there are more murders committed in prisons in states without the death penalty than states with it?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The funny thing is, states like California and Pennsylvania essentially have the worst of both worlds (well that's if you consider actually executing people a positive), they still blow millions of dollars in maintaining their death penalty systems, but they never use them. So it's all a giant waste for nothing.

That's why even if I wasn't morally opposed to the death penalty, I'd support its abolishment in those states. I wouldn't support reinstating it in Minnesota either, because doing so almost certainly go the same route as New York, blowing millions on it, never using it, and likely ending up with it struck down in court and unusable. As it is, I'd rather have my tax dollars wasted on nothing than spent on killing people, making those states better than Texas, but there's really no reason to keep the death penalty in any such state, regardless of your personal opinion.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

HP. Getting rid of the death penalty puts prison guards and prisoners in danger.

Convicts have killed prison guards or fellow inmates in full knowledge that they would exchange the misery of life imprisonment for a faster death if suicide is unavailable or if they are scared of something even worse (a literal Hell) in the event of suicide. Maybe even the promise of a Last Meal and Last Words in a life which has lost all meaning.     

That is such an unimaginably low exception to the rule, that it litterally doesn't merit discussion. Doesa con serving life (or the functional equivilent) wish everyday they were outside? Of course. Do the overwhelming majority turn into violent predators or otherwise in a sick way of thinking 'thrive'. You bet.

There are valid arguments against capital punishment, even if I disagree with many of them; but death penalty opponents need to be honest about the fact lifers will remain drastic threats to staff and other inmates, and most such inmates will gladly take the opportunity to do what they want without retribution rather than seeing capital punishment as a glorified form of suicide.

But then given the amount of anti-cop vitriol that runs endemic throughout the Atlas, I'm guessing the sympathy for threats to COs is limited, as the typical image of prison guards around here is more formed by movies like Shawshank Redemption (awesome though it is) than real life.

There. I said it.

So then Minnesota prisons must be WAY WAY more dangerous than Texas prisons then? And Canadian prisons have to be way more dangerous than in most states?

Yeah, no.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

HP. Getting rid of the death penalty puts prison guards and prisoners in danger.

Convicts have killed prison guards or fellow inmates in full knowledge that they would exchange the misery of life imprisonment for a faster death if suicide is unavailable or if they are scared of something even worse (a literal Hell) in the event of suicide. Maybe even the promise of a Last Meal and Last Words in a life which has lost all meaning.     

That is such an unimaginably low exception to the rule, that it litterally doesn't merit discussion. Doesa con serving life (or the functional equivilent) wish everyday they were outside? Of course. Do the overwhelming majority turn into violent predators or otherwise in a sick way of thinking 'thrive'. You bet.

There are valid arguments against capital punishment, even if I disagree with many of them; but death penalty opponents need to be honest about the fact lifers will remain drastic threats to staff and other inmates, and most such inmates will gladly take the opportunity to do what they want without retribution rather than seeing capital punishment as a glorified form of suicide.

But then given the amount of anti-cop vitriol that runs endemic throughout the Atlas, I'm guessing the sympathy for threats to COs is limited, as the typical image of prison guards around here is more formed by movies like Shawshank Redemption (awesome though it is) than real life.

There. I said it.

So then Minnesota prisons must be WAY WAY more dangerous than Texas prisons then? And Canadian prisons have to be way more dangerous than in most states?

Yeah, no.

Please. I'm hardly saying capital punishment is the cure all for broken underfunded, understaffed prison systems. The fact remains a lifer in MN can kill a guard, staff member, or other inmate with total legal impunity. Think about that.

I'm not too sure I'd call being locked up in solitary confinement permently or sent to a Supermax facility (considering that Supermax prisons were built initially specifically for inmates deemed too dangerous for the general population) to be "total legal impunity". In fact I'd bet you'd find many if not most people would prefer going to death row than going to a Supermax which is not surprising if you have any clue what those places are like.

But honestly this is one issue where my view is it doesn't matter what I think personally, I find the death penalty completely incompatible with Christianity and I can't support it if I'm going to follow Jesus. I opposed it before, but there's no way I'm backsliding on that now.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

HP. Getting rid of the death penalty puts prison guards and prisoners in danger.

Convicts have killed prison guards or fellow inmates in full knowledge that they would exchange the misery of life imprisonment for a faster death if suicide is unavailable or if they are scared of something even worse (a literal Hell) in the event of suicide. Maybe even the promise of a Last Meal and Last Words in a life which has lost all meaning.     

That is such an unimaginably low exception to the rule, that it litterally doesn't merit discussion. Doesa con serving life (or the functional equivilent) wish everyday they were outside? Of course. Do the overwhelming majority turn into violent predators or otherwise in a sick way of thinking 'thrive'. You bet.

There are valid arguments against capital punishment, even if I disagree with many of them; but death penalty opponents need to be honest about the fact lifers will remain drastic threats to staff and other inmates, and most such inmates will gladly take the opportunity to do what they want without retribution rather than seeing capital punishment as a glorified form of suicide.

But then given the amount of anti-cop vitriol that runs endemic throughout the Atlas, I'm guessing the sympathy for threats to COs is limited, as the typical image of prison guards around here is more formed by movies like Shawshank Redemption (awesome though it is) than real life.

There. I said it.

So then Minnesota prisons must be WAY WAY more dangerous than Texas prisons then? And Canadian prisons have to be way more dangerous than in most states?

Yeah, no.

Please. I'm hardly saying capital punishment is the cure all for broken underfunded, understaffed prison systems. The fact remains a lifer in MN can kill a guard, staff member, or other inmate with total legal impunity. Think about that.

I'm not too sure I'd call being locked up in solitary confinement permently or sent to a Supermax facility (considering that Supermax prisons were built initially specifically for inmates deemed too dangerous for the general population) to be "total legal impunity". In fact I'd bet you'd find many if not most people would prefer going to death row than going to a Supermax which is not surprising if you have any clue what those places are like.

But honestly this is one issue where my view is it doesn't matter what I think personally, I find the death penalty completely incompatible with Christianity and I can't support it if I'm going to follow Jesus. I opposed it before, but there's no way I'm backsliding on that now.

First paragraph: I have practiced criminal law as either a prosecutor or defense attorney for over 20 years. Unlike you, I have been to prisons. I have investigated cases that occur in prison. I have dealt with clients, defendants, investigators, witnesses, and staff in prisons as my effing JOB for over two decades. And based on a couple tv shows and $hit you picked up on the internet you condensend to tell ME I don't know what the realities of prison life are??

Here's a plan, champ. While you're at it why don't you go teach Al a few things about the 80's miner strikes in England?> Or maybe educate Muon about physics or suburban Chicago politics? And while you're at it maybe you can tell Joe Republic what's what on the best places to really party in Vegas. Would that be pretentious and presumptives? Hell yes. But you couldn't possibly look more of an ass doing so than you do right now.

Second paragraph. That's fine. You and I can legitimately debate the theological differences we have there.

But DON'T accuse me of ignorance where you have exactly zero grounds to stand on.

I never said you were ignorant. I was just pointing out Supermaxes exist for exactly this reason, and the prospect of being stuck in one for decades is a lot more horrifying than death.

And with all this knowledge then if your statement that prisons in states without the death penalty are inherently more dangerous than states with it, then you should be able to provide some statistics to back it up. Much like how this is rather well cited.

Also as far as the point about Minnesota prisons go, consider that Pawlenty's proposal to reinstate the death penalty was voted down by a State Senate committee by a vote of 8-2, meaning that even two out of the four REPUBLICANS on the committee voted No. And these of course are State Senators, not posters on a message board who like to post things against cops and prison guards.