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

[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.

[Papewaio]

Treat the prisoners like the rest of the population.






Feed them corn derived fructose until they die of obesity.

[rory_20_uk]

Thousands of times a day around the world, people have proceedured done to them that would be excruciating without removing conciousness. Limbs and organs are removed - and almost all wake up with no memory of the pain. We've been doing this for almost 100 years now and we're getting better at it - so good no one even asks the question of whether the persons feel pain during the event.

And yet... it seems impossible to do the same thing with the only addition bieng the person doesn't wake up the other side reliably.

How can this be so? Knock them out, then hang 'em, shoot 'em, dismember 'em or lop their heads off. Perhaps leaving it to persons who usually work in prisons is the problem here.

[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.

[Kadagar_AV]

Fun fact of the day:

The last US execution by firing squad took place in 2010.

Uncivilized, if you ask me.

[Rhyfelwyr]

Fun fact of the day:

The last US execution by firing squad took place in 2010.

Uncivilized, if you ask me.

That's nothing, over here in Britain we were still imprisoning people for witchcraft during WWII.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Fun fact of the day:

The last US execution by firing squad took place in 2010.

Uncivilized, if you ask me.

It really was the best method.

[Greyblades]

'Cant tell if sarcastic...

[Rhyfelwyr]

If it worth noting, that in the case Kadagar is referring to was that of Ronnie Lee Gardiner, and it was the first of its kind in 14 years. From what I have read, it was only carried out by firing squad because Gardiner demanded it on religious grounds. Apparently, as a Mormon, he believed in the idea of 'blood atonement' and that he must physically spill blood to pay for his crime. It seems that the authorities did everything they could to talk him out of this idea, but he wouldn't back down. I should point out as well that the Mormon church made a point of stating that Gardiner's beliefs were not in fact part of their doctrine.

Anyway, the idea of not violating religious or moral beliefs does paint something of a different light on it.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

'Cant tell if sarcastic...

It's the best method.

Four high calibre bullets to the chest will cause shock, resulting in the brain shutting down, pretty much instant unconsciousness followed momentarily by death, and because the bullets are supersonic you won't even hear the shot that kills you.

Add in a blindfold and, if done by proper marksmen, you literally won't know what hit you.

People don't like it because it requires four men to shoot another man, rather than a tech to press a button to inject some drugs.

It's like electrocuting pigs before death - it's to make the slaughterman feel better, not the pig.

[Greyblades]

Didn't we get hanging down to a science to do the same thing? Seems like a waste of bullets/soldier's psyche. Actually now that I think about it, why to the chest? Seems like bullets to the head would have a lower chance of screwing up and leaving a man concious while he dies.

[Tellos Athenaios]

It's the best method.

Four high calibre bullets to the chest will cause shock, resulting in the brain shutting down, pretty much instant unconsciousness followed momentarily by death, and because the bullets are supersonic you won't even hear the shot that kills you.

Add in a blindfold and, if done by proper marksmen, you literally won't know what hit you.

People don't like it because it requires four men to shoot another man, rather than a tech to press a button to inject some drugs.

As I understand the only really fail safe death is still the guillotine since it was designed for almost instantaneous amputation by a doctor originally. Hanging doesn't work reliably enough (body type, height and weight need to be taken into account by an expert hangman, but to get expert at being hangman requires...), firing squad requires a large number of people completely untroubled by the idea of shooting another human being who also happen to be very accurate marksmen. Gas chamber is painful (asphyxiation is simply not very pleasant), electrocution is unreliable (as well as painful), and prison guards playing with the chemist set is really rather inappropriate -- all three options are also rather more disturbing to watch, and watching is necessary in order to make sure the subject is fully executed.

It's like electrocuting pigs before death - it's to make the slaughterman feel better, not the pig.

That is done to make the pig feel better because stress ruins the meat and all the machinery won't do anything for the pig's stress levels.

[rory_20_uk]

It's the best method.

Four high calibre bullets to the chest will cause shock, resulting in the brain shutting down, pretty much instant unconsciousness followed momentarily by death, and because the bullets are supersonic you won't even hear the shot that kills you.

Add in a blindfold and, if done by proper marksmen, you literally won't know what hit you.

People don't like it because it requires four men to shoot another man, rather than a tech to press a button to inject some drugs.

It's like electrocuting pigs before death - it's to make the slaughterman feel better, not the pig.

Could one not rig up a machine gun aimed at the chest? And the trigger to a servo that requires two buttons to be pressed? Removes the requirement for men to shoot at a man.