And the world record for "most botched execution" goes to...

[HoreTore]

But some just deserve it, take that Breivik guy, how does he not deserve anything else.

Fortunately, we're a bit more civilized up here....

Anyway, why the Saudi's? Robespierre is the gold standard of executions.

[drone]

They should just use nitrogen and be done with it. If it's acceptable to dope up the condemned with opiates, why not the narcosis high from nitrogen?

[Fragony]

Fortunately, we're a bit more civilized up here....

Probably the worst thing that ever happened to that bastard. Humiliation complete.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

It is more expensive, on average, to house a prisoner for life than to execute them. I agree that the death penalty, of itself, is no longer necessary to protect society. If the death penalty truly were a deterrent, that might be one thing, but history shows us that that is not the case.

[Ironside]

It is more expensive, on average, to house a prisoner for life than to execute them.

Not true in the US. The exceptionality of the punishment drives up the costs. More appeals, higher trial costs and death row are more expensive than for life in prison.

[HopAlongBunny]

If the criminal justice system is a method of providing a criminal class, and perhaps ad-hoc control of the size/demands of the labour pool; the death penalty makes perfect sense.
Beyond the number necessary for a class to provide services to the elite, the remainder is simply dead weight. Where the economy cannot provide jobs to a sector of the labour pool, the excess is redundant and possibly problematic.
The option to simply eliminate the excess is convenient and much more direct. As wealth becomes more concentrated, a greater proportion of the population becomes unnecessary; the policy of elimination wears the mantle of "right" and morality.

[HopAlongBunny]

Further to the above, would be the observation that as society "mainstreams" the mentally-ill, the prison population grows.
De-institutionalizing (at least some classes) of the mentally ill simply transfers the care of those individuals to a different place of confinement.
The only real change is which pocket government largess ultimately ends up in.
The expense of the death penalty, and its failure as a deterrent allow for perpetual enrichment of those involved in the process.

[a completely inoffensive name]

I don't want to people to walk away from this thread thinking that Arizona is some how representative of US justice systems becoming institutionalized producers of a criminal class. When I say Arizona is a bunch of savages, I really mean to say, Arizona is a bunch of savages.

They elected this man six times. Investigations by the DOJ and FBI, ignored rape crimes, re-instituted chain gangs, noted as having "the worst history of racial profiling in US history" by the DOJ. And the people of Arizona just keep voting him in.

What do you expect from a state that sold off its own capitol buildings? Sorry citizens, forgot to pay the landlord this month, no government until September.

[rory_20_uk]

Further to the above, would be the observation that as society "mainstreams" the mentally-ill, the prison population grows.
De-institutionalizing (at least some classes) of the mentally ill simply transfers the care of those individuals to a different place of confinement.

What is mental illness and what is not is no more than a line in the sand - being homosexual used to be a mental illness, and now is not. Sociopathy is not a mental illness, but being a psychopath is. Paedophilia seems to be viewed as not a mental illness as I imagine society rather would lock them up than just treat them with realistic dolls or whatever.

[Vincent Butler]

If the death penalty truly were a deterrent, that might be one thing, but history shows us that that is not the case

I don't have stats, so I will not try to contest that, though off the bat I disagree. The thing is, look at how many murders are committed by repeat offenders, it seems fairly common. Execute somebody for murder, I guarantee he will not do it again. Part of the problem is our appeals process. If painless is what you like, and I agree, though at times I want to make exceptions, the Guillotine or Firing Squad are good, hanging works too. Somebody else mentioned the shock caused by the chest shots, but a good head shot also works. Maybe requires better marksmen, but I know I can hit a head sized target at 25 yards with my rifle, and I am not an excellent shot by any means. More messy, though. Some, including myself, believe that blood needs to be shed for blood being spilt, see Numbers 35:33 and Genesis 9:6. Those are my grounds, others may have other grounds. If you want painless and clean, Carbon Monoxide would probably the way to go. From what I understand, having never experienced it myself, it is basically like falling asleep. Then again, how would those who say so know? The thing is, our constitution protects against "cruel and unusual punishment", so some methods are not valid (broken on the wheel, the rack, drawn and quartered, among others). Now for those who oppose capital punishment on those grounds, bear in mind our founding fathers were executing people, so the death penalty was not what they were thinking of.

Why is it so hard for the government to kill people?

I know, right? You would think they would have that down to a science. Maybe that is the problem, they are thinking too much.