Response needed to questions at least 150 words

This is needed by tomorrow.

1.    Do you believe that capital punishment should continue to remain a viable sentencing option for especially heinous crimes? Why or why not?

2.    While I agree with you about the points you made that capital punishment should not be an option because of the obvious morality aspect of killing a person for having killed someone else, I am not entirely sure that I agree with your assessment about that convicted person sitting in prison to contemplate what they have done. In many cases, the criminal may never truly come to regret their acting’s, instead justifying them over and over in their own minds until they have convinced themselves that they did the right thing. This is where strenuous therapy may come in handy, to help heal that kind of a sickness. However, too, we must consider that there are those who will plead guilty in hopes of a lighter sentence that may never happen. When an innocent person is put to death for crimes that they did not commit, it can be a sad day indeed. Class, what are your thoughts?

3.    Do you believe that three-strikes laws can be an effective deterrent to crime? Are three-strikes laws economically efficient? Explain your answers.

4.    The case for the three-strikes law in regards to its effectiveness as a deterrent for crime can be, arguably, in the pro column for effectiveness. Anyone who has had one felony case knows how difficult the legal system can be on them. Having two or more would follow a logical path in anyone's mind that the punishments would get progressively worse. However, we all know that not everyone who commits a felony is necessarily mentally stable, and so to that end I feel that each case still needs to be looked at as an individual case rather than all together as a whole. As far as three-strikes laws being economically efficient, I feel that, yes, they can be so long as they are also equally effective. One less felon in prison is one less person that tax payers have to support. Class, what are your thoughts?

5.    In what way would we be able to be sure that a person convicted and sentenced to death row is 100% guilty? Do we put a stipulation on how many years they serve in prison before being executed? So that, in that way, any other evidence that may arise and clear their name has the time to do so? Also, how would you feel if this were someone that you personally knew, rather than a nameless, faceless criminal? I ask that because I am genuinely curious to see how the psychology works within each of us. Class, what are your thoughts?

6.     The article (at the link below) is a somewhat dated study of the approximate first 10 years of the three-strikes implementation in California.  There are some interesting points identified in the article ... look through it.  What do you find interesting?  Anything different than you thought it might be?

http://www.lao.ca.gov/2005/3_strikes/3_strikes_102005.htm

7.    In regards to the effectiveness and cost efficiency of the three-strikes law, I find that I do not agree with you necessarily on the likelihood of a felon re-offending if they are let out on parole. There are strict standards and guidelines in most states as to which offenders will be up for parole. Of those, the ones who get it are likely to not re-offend, depending on what their original offense was for. I volunteer as a state appointed chaperon in the state of Texas, and in my experience, the biggest reason why felons are sent back to prison is because they were unable to pay their parole fee. Class, what are your thoughts?

8.     I believe that a person should have to sit in prison, forever thinking about the awful things they have done. I believe that the death penalty is an easy way out from your actions, your thoughts or violence towards you from other inmates. I truly think that someone who is up for a death penalty sentence is happy because honestly, who wants to spend the rest of their life in prison? Especially someone who is young? I know if I committed a heinous crime, I would want the death penalty to put me out of the misery that is prison. I do not think a life for a life is the way to go; I mean, they are punishing someone for taking a life, so they are just going to do the same thing? Makes no sense.