who was released as "fully rehabilitated," killed again? The entire legal system would come under fire! Unfortunately, throwing criminals in a jail cell and completely forgetting about them (permanent solitary confinement for the extent of a criminal's sentence) is considered cruel and unusual punishment. I have concluded that the death penalty is, in itself, not ethical. There is absolutely no way a judge or jury can be sure that the right person is being sentenced to their death, unless a confession is presented. Even if a confession is presented, it is not morally right to kill another person because they have once killed. This is not to say that I am totally against killing in society. If one must kill another person in order to protect him/herself, then I feel that killing in self-defense is justified. Killing a criminal because someone decided that they "deserve to die" is not justified. If a criminal is convicted of murder (and would normally be sentenced to death), I believe that they should be locked up in prison for the rest of their natural life. Killing a criminal will only create more violence in society. With more violence comes more crime, which leads to more criminal convictions, and the whole process repeats itself. The death penalty is unethical and should be abolished....
