What is the purpose of prison? to rehabilitate, to punish or both? I think some are able to be rehabilitated like white collar crime and so forth but some are just evil and cannot be rehabilitated nor do they want to be. If someone hurt, tortured & raped my grandchildren or kids I think I would be able to pull the lever so to speak. Or if our prisons and jails were truly horrific let them live. I know a defense attorney and they say in the US prisons the inmates can get any drugs, telephones and so on, they have their own society with their own 'perks'. Not saying it is the same as being free on the outside but some have clearly chosen to be there, according to my defense attorney friend. The attorney says that some just find it easier to be on the inside. I find it hard to believe too, they claim it to be true for some.
I also find it interesting that most people who oppose the death penalty also approve of abortion. I have not looked up studies on such, just an observation of folks I have spoken with. I find that quite odd and cannot quite wrap my head around that one.