Much of the law is a list of maximum or minimum punishments.   Breaking the law is kind of like taking a 5 dollar bill from your mom's purse when you're 15.  You either get caught or you don't, and most likely when you do get caught its probably the 10th or 20th time you did it!

I'd like to know where the idea of correction fits in with everyone's beliefs regarding the death penalty.

Its called the "dept of corrections," but I fear there is little effort made toward actually helping the people incarcerated.   But my feelings about the dept of corrections are not relevant in this board; only my feelings about the DP.

The death penalty does not attempt correction of the offender.  Perhaps correction of an injustice, yes.  Maybe a correction in karma, if you will.   

I feel that we are what we are due to behavioral patterns created in us by outside influences, mostly during childhood.  Which means, that on some level, we're not totally responsible for our tendencies.  Notice I did not say we're not responsible for our actions.  I believe there are plenty of people out there with aggressive tendencies who realize that its wrong to harm someone, so they don't do it, just like I bet there are thousands of pedophiles out there who never touch kids.

I believe that we all have the same seeds of anger and aggression and violence within us; its simply a matter of which one of those things are brought out by outside influences, mostly during our upbringing.

Is the concept of correction of the offender ruled out by the severity of the offense?  And if so, why?

Some murderers, rapists, sex offenders, etc. have not a single chance of being rehabilitated.  I would prefer that serial murderers be put to death - same with serial rapists.  They have no redeeming values and no possibilty of being "corrected."  Why warehouse useless people?  The money could be spent on the deserving.

No perfect law but perfect judge.
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[QUOTE=Gandalf_Parker;387341]. . . The US leads the world in incarcerating its own people. More than one in a hundred are in jail with the 50 US states spending more than $49 billion on prisons last year, almost five times more than the $11 billion spent 20 years ago. The rate of increase for prison costs last year was six times higher than the rate of increase for higher education spending. . . [/QUOTE]

That's a pretty sick thing, if you think about it - especially because many of those prisoners are getting taxpayer-funded education that most of us in the real world cannot afford!  Why does the perpetrator of one or more crimes get a free college education just because he or she has nothing else to do with their time?

We should begin by turning loose all the people who are in jail for victimless crimes, including everyone who is behind bars for possessing or selling marijuana.  People who have failed to pay child support or restitution should be given jobs such as those assigned to people doing community service, only with pay.  There is plenty of work to do for local and state governments, such as cleaning up litter, doing park improvements, maintenance, etc.  If we keep them busy, maybe they won't be inclined to re-offend.

I believe in educating prisoners who have sentences other than life in prison or death.  Those who are in for a year - or even 10-20 years - will need something to do when they are released.  There is just no point in educating people who will never leave prison, except to teach them to read, write and do arithmetic.  And there should be plenty of books available to them.