Death penalty halted in PA

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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.

And the last one had been put to death in 1999, almost 16 years ago. Death warrants are being regularly issued just to be halted. Death penalty in Pennsylvania, just like in California, is basically a very costly life imprisonment.

Nonetheless, a massive FF decision by Governor Wolf

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

How does that make any sense?

Without the death penalty there is no further punishment for inmates sentenced to life. Therefore they have no qualms about killing prison guards or other inmates.

Tell that to prisoners (like this gentleman) who specifically killed while in prison in order to get death penalty.

Just saying

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If every other country was smarter than the US we wouldn't be the most powerful nation in the west.

So your argument is, and please clarify if otherwise, the US is the most powerful nation in the west because it has the death penalty?

Damn, it's so clear now. Europe need to forget all that nonsense about economy and integration. We just need to chop off some heads and we will dominate the world again.

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Didn't know a Governor could do this...

Governor can stay executions, whether for just one inmate or en masse.

Exactly the same kind of moratorium Ryan, Hickenlooper or Inslee imposed.

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Again, the moral and logical solution is to abolish life imprisonment. If someone is sentenced to 20 years and kills a prison guard, they get 10 more years.

I'm not a big fan of life imprisonment either. I like the Norwegian system, where maximum prison term is 21 years, but if one's deemed to be a danger to society if released, it can me extended (that's why, despite right-wing talking points, Breivik is never getting out).

Many see it as "soft", but for me it's more reasonable than the absolutist approach with long, even mandatory sentences (not just for violent crimes, as we can see in America), that results in nothing but badly overcrowded prisons, that are both costly and utterly unproductive. Naturally, there are individuals beyond rehabilitation who ought to stay isolated, but every rehabilitated offender is a victory for society.

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It's just a feel good move by Wolf.  No substance here.

"No substance"? Hasn't he in fact blocked all pending executions in the state (pending appeals from the DA organizations)?

I think he meant that Pennsylvania is already very unlikely to execute anyone (at least for a considerable period), though I wouldn't Wolf's move of "no substance" either.

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Dude I can't remember the last time we lit up ole sparky

No wonder, that was 1962

Well, the only "practical" difference is that Wolfe won't be issuing any new death warrants (which would almost certainly be stayed anyway) like his predecessors, but it's a powerful message nonetheless.