BBC Have your Say - paedophiles

[Ardesco]

Not a bad idea forcing the prison population to run on treadmills to produce power though, then again we don't want them to get too good at running. They may get silly ideas during a moment of lapse security.....

[Old Greg]

Not a bad idea forcing the prison population to run on treadmills to produce power though, then again we don't want them to get too good at running. They may get silly ideas during a moment of lapse security.....

That's kind of how prison warders became known as Screws. Prisoners had to turn a handle so many times in a day (there was a counter) and some warders would turn the screw to make it harder. It was abandoned as it wasn't doing a great job of rehabilitation.

[WotNxt]

You missed the 'without parole'. We can debate the conditions later - it's the death bit that bothers me.

Rowing boats? At least it gets you out in the fresh air.

Why are you bothered about the death bit? Do paedophiles feel remorseful about what they have done to their victims? Are serial killers sorry for what they have done? Why should we be bothered about ridding the world of such scumbags?

Admittedly there are sometimes miscarriages of justice but with careful safeguards there would be minimal mistakes made - the Americans seem to keep people on death row for years to give plenty of chance for appeals to take place. Maybe they could row boats for 5 years and then if not reprieved would be executed.

[Old Greg]

Why are you bothered about the death bit? Do paedophiles feel remorseful about what they have done to their victims? Are serial killers sorry for what they have done? Why should we be bothered about ridding the world of such scumbags?

Admittedly there are sometimes miscarriages of justice but with careful safeguards there would be minimal mistakes made - the Americans seem to keep people on death row for years to give plenty of chance for appeals to take place. Maybe they could row boats for 5 years and then if not reprieved would be executed.

The wrongful conviction is slightly separate, in that even if the possibility could be removed, I'd still be 100% against the death penalty as a judicial tool.

Even if the worst criminals don't feel remorse for their crimes, I assert my difference from them by not acting like them and by rejecting the death penalty. I believe it's murder, simple as that. I doubt we'll convince each other on this one. You may think that's b0llocks if you want.

[WotNxt]

That's kind of how prison warders became known as Screws. Prisoners had to turn a handle so many times in a day (there was a counter) and some warders would turn the screw to make it harder. It was abandoned as it wasn't doing a great job of rehabilitation.

That's because it server no purpose other than to punish and the presumption was that the prisoners would one day be set free.

We are talking about whole of life sentences and the production of a useful commodity for the benefit of the society they have wronged. Paedophiles cannot be rehabilitated anyway so if they are not going to be executed we should ensure they are contributing to society instead of being a drain on it.

[angusglover]

I suggest you leave their nuts where they are. They may come in handy when you have to release someone wrongly convicted. One day that might be you.

Are you back on that nut storage thing again?

[Old Greg]

That's because it server no purpose other than to punish and the presumption was that the prisoners would one day be set free.

We are talking about whole of life sentences and the production of a useful commodity for the benefit of the society they have wronged. Paedophiles cannot be rehabilitated anyway so if they are not going to be executed we should ensure they are contributing to society instead of being a drain on it.

Yes - I was talking about why it was abandoned in the Victorian (?) era.

[Ardesco]

Ask yourself this. What would be worse?

• Living in a sealed metal box for the rest of your life and meeting the odd guy called Leroy who likes your ass
• A quick painless death

I personally would much rather see them suffer in a box for as long as possible

[Old Greg]

Ask yourself this. What would be worse?

• Living in a sealed metal box for the rest of your life and meeting the odd guy called Leroy who likes your ass
• A quick painless death

I personally would much rather see them suffer in a box for as long as possible

I'm not sure the esteemed posters had painless in mind.

[Ardesco]

I'm not sure the esteemed posters had painless in mind.

Capital punishment is always done as painlessly as possible. lethal injection where you fall assleep and die, hanging where your neck snaps instantly so no pain, or the worst will be guilotine where you may have half a second of seeing your head fall off your body until the oxygen supply to the brain runs out.

Generally speaking capital punishment is as painless as possible.

I can't really see us going down the route of drawn and quartered any more in this PC world. If you want them to suffer the only way for it to happen is make them suffer mentally in prison.