Should We Kill The Serial Killers?

[Dubbelosix]

The question is very simple,

 

​''Should we execute serial killers?''

 

​
It seems many are in agreement, that people like serial killers should be killed because of their horrific crimes. I ask, would it not be more beneficial, to keep them alive, so we can study the psychopaths in the aim that we may even be able to predict or even forcast certain behavioural traits that may lead to the serial killers motivations?

 

America has today, what is called a death row, filled with vital information that we can learn about psychopathy. Even the life of a psychopath may be beneficial to learn from.

[NimrodTheGoat]

Just serial killers or those with mental illnesses? 

[NimrodTheGoat]

A serial killer is " a person who commits a series of murders, often with no apparent motive and typically following a characteristic, predictable behavior pattern." 

If it is a tell-tale sign that something is wrong with them, then I think that the States should reconsider to what point a mentally ill person should get the chair.

 

Look, this is a tricky subject to talk about because we don't know everything yet about the human mind. But maybe there are some exceptions as to when a mentally ill person should get capital punishment.

 

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/mental-illness-and-death-penalty

Edited June 29, 2017 by NimrodTheGoat

[Deepwater6]

I am pro-DP, but many things must be taken into consideration before I would agree to execute the execution. The suspect may have already spent time in prison. This may result in not only the patient not getting the counseling he/she needs, it also may have subjected them to be influenced by very bad people. 

 

Other facets would have to be examined too, was the person exposed to a living hell by parents who did all kinds of heinous acts against them for years? Did this negative mental conditioning influence the action of the suspect?

 

As NTG pointed out this is a touchy subject. If we keep them alive to study them, what kind of experiments would be deemed humane? This also presents the problem of possibly mislabeling someone a killer before they have actually done anything wrong. How can we be sure they will carry out their threat? Many suicidal people may consider and threaten to end their own life, but never go through with it. Would we put someone in prison for the rest of his or her life because they show the traits similar to previous serial killer?

 

One thing is for sure though, neither the mentally ill or hardened criminals are getting the rehabilitation they need in our prison system.

[connorbro]

I agree with Deepwater6. Although it is for kids, I remember the animated film Megamind. It is a good example how an individual's personality and upbringing can be influenced and conditioned by his/her environment and social setting. We should find a more humane way to deal and resolve the negative nature of a killer. 

[sanctus]

 

 

Other facets would have to be examined too, was the person exposed to a living hell by parents who did all kinds of heinous acts against them for years? Did this negative mental conditioning influence the action of the suspect?

This is an explanation why they became as they did. But it is not an excuse to do it. Many pedophiles were victims when they were young, I see it as no excuse.

[JMJones0424]

The question is very simple,

 

​''Should we execute serial killers?''

 My answer is very simple.  No.

 

In fact, I maintain that there should never be a death penalty in a just society.  To be sure, there are those that deserve death due to their actions.  I live in Texas, a state that very liberally applies the death penalty.  I do not mourn the death of those that are convicted and sentenced to death.  However, I firmly believe that the death penalty exists as a cudgel against defendants that can be used to convince otherwise innocent people to plea guilt in order to prevent state sanctioned death.

 

There are too many instances where our justice system has been horrifically wrong.  It is a travesty to imprison someone for tens of years for a crime they did not commit.  Even if all recipients of the death penalty were actually guilty of the crimes that they were convicted of, how many more pleaded to lesser charges in order to avoid the death penalty even though they were innocent?

 

Murder should be illegal.  State sanctioned murder is still murder.

Edited August 2, 2017 by JMJones0424

[Deepwater6]

 

This is an explanation why they became as they did. But it is not an excuse to do it. Many pedophiles were victims when they were young, I see it as no excuse.

Agreed, Its not an excuse, but it may be a consequence of the corrupted childhood. Someone who sees their father get drunk and physically abuse their mother every night may have the sense that such behavior is somewhat normal. Their brain is repeatedly exposed to it, conditioned to it, like a path on a worn carpet, over and over.