For those who think life without parole is a punishment for some people, you are wrong.
Most US prison today have sex, drugs, three hots and a cot, whatever else you need and whatever else you wanted on the outside.
If some rich guy murders someone, then life in prison might be a good punishment. But for someone who grows up in poverty, and lives off government assistance all his life...life in prison is just about the same as life on the street.
And NO, Dondare, prisons are not hell. If they were, then life w/o parole would be appropriate.
I won't mourn tookie. The Crips have been responsible for murder, rape, robbery, drug usage, etc. His victim count is in the thousands.
I can't say if the death penalty is a deterrent or not. But I do agree that if you're going to use it, don't wait 20+ years. Use the appeals process and when that's done. Kill them.
1. Not all prisons are created equal. Not even close. One prison might be tolerable for one certain individual, and that same person might not last 1 day in another prison, or even in a different part of the same prison. Trust me, some prisons are worse than what you can imagine hell is. And some prisons are not.