Retribution or Redemption? What`s your view on punishment?

Eye for an Eye?
Or love the sinner but hate the sin?
It seems there is a split of opinions here so I thought this would make a discussion ...

my view - I`ve always been anti death penalty. Various reasons but mainly because I don`t see that it makes us any better than the criminal. However, I think the balance has gone too far in favour of the criminal now and the victim is often ignored.
I`d like to see a real effort made to help the victim.
I`d also like to see more public condemnation of crime. I don`t agree with protection / anonymity for criminals for instance.
What are your thoughts?

Re: Retribution or Redemption? What`s your view on punishment?

I am against any punishment that does not allow for mistakes to be rectified. If you execute a person found guilty you cannot later reverse that punishment if the justice system got it wrong.

Many people are not interested in justice but in revenge, a trait often associated with America stemming back to the early days of lynch mobs and even now in their attitude to the one man locked away for the Lockerbie bombing even though there has always been doubt over his guilt and even though the man is dying of cancer and has little time left.

Punishment for crimes involving the infliction of pain and violence should indeed attract far longer punishment and in a harsher environment. Certainly harsh enough to deter repeat offences.

It is a fact that the veneer of civilization is exceedingly thin.

Re: Retribution or Redemption? What`s your view on punishment?

I cannot agree with capital punishment. The one priority of the state is to protect the citizen, not kill them - even if they are a very 'bad' citizen.

I think we jail far, far, too many people - I cannot see any purpose in locking anyone away who is not a danger to society. We should, instead, look for some way for wrongdoers to attone for their crimes and to be educated against any repeats.

We sometimes seem to regard aquisitive crime more seriously than violence.

Re: Retribution or Redemption? What`s your view on punishment?

I don't agree with these life sentences for murder which are not in fact for life, also our criminals sometimes seem to have more rights than their victims, where were the victims human rights? I could cheerfully have seen that odious trio who killed baby P put to death, although I am not particularly in favour of capital punishment.

I agree that wrongdoers of lesser crimes should atone for their crimes, they should also be made to face their victims.

Re: Retribution or Redemption? What`s your view on punishment?

I used to be in favor of the death penalty but have changed in recent years as new evidence via DNA, etc,has proven that may people were not, in fact guilty. Better let one guilty person escape than execute an innocent person. I do think here in the States the penalties for drug users (as opposed to dealers) are too harsh. But throw the book at rapists, pedophiles, child and animal abusers. As far as the Lockerbie terrorist, I'm sorry he's dying of cancer, but why should he get a chance to say goodbye to his family? The people who died due to his act never got to say goodbye to their loved ones. He made his bed; let him lie in it now.

Re: Retribution or Redemption? What`s your view on punishment?

There are those who are compassionate.

There are those who have doubts over the justice of the verdict in this case.
"It seems that the evidence which convicted Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, currently serving a life sentence in Greenock Prison, Scotland, was planted by the CIA. According to The Scotsman, 2005-08-28:
A former Scottish police chief has given lawyers a signed statement claiming that key evidence in the Lockerbie bombing trial was fabricated."

And then there are the Americans who just want revenge on someone and they don’t particularly care who.

Re: Retribution or Redemption? What`s your view on punishment?

I think the punishment should fit the crime, for eg, in some countries they chop of your hands for stealing (how backwards is that!) but they don't differentiate between someone who stole because his child is starving or someone who stole because they're lazy and can't be bothered to work for their money like everyone else!

I feel the same way about other crimes, we should try to learn more so we can establish when someone has done something with 'nasty' intent or whether it was an accident or some other (perhaps medical) reason.