The death penalty or capital punishment has been the subject of debate for long. Almost everybody has an opinion on it. Me too!
When I was young (as in school-college; not that I am old now :-P), I believed that death was too easy a punishment for cold blooded murderers and rapists (I still believe rape deserves the capital punishment). I wanted a law that would have them tortured, see them struggling, isolated for life - so that every living moment of their life, they would repent and feel the pain of the family who lost a loved one. The stoning to death penalty in some Gulf nations, seemed pretty attractive as an alternative.
But then I grew up. And I realized that in India, a life imprisonment lasts for a minimum of 14 years, with a chance of release for good behaviour after that. But more importantly, I realized that the process of delivery of justice is long and not always fair. Many a times, the corruption within it, makes it biased against the poor or weak. The victim or their family spend ages in trying to get justice. And yet some criminals walk away free.
I also realized that our Government does not really have the kind of money to keep all the prisons in order, or to have a mechanism to keep a check on the parity within their gates. Our prisons are not self sufficient, although that is something that can be done with initiative (read links below - prisons and rehabilitation of inmates is a separate topic altogether). Presently they use up taxpayers' monies that taxpayers would wish to be spent elsewhere in more productive areas.
But mostly, I feel that till the time justice is done speedily and fairly in this country, it is better to retain the capital punishment. It at least provides a closure of some sort to the victims, who have struggled through the process of delayed justice.
My opinion has hence changed. Not due to sympathy for the criminals, or any religious beliefs, but the present scenario. Maybe it will never change for some crimes like rape. But what I really wish for my country is a more powerful and efficient judiciary. A major revamp of some laws and a more transparent system.
Suggested links:
Labour Jurisprudence and Indian Prisons: A Drift towards Reformation
Amritsar Prison
Prisons in India - wikipedia
Suggested links:
Labour Jurisprudence and Indian Prisons: A Drift towards Reformation
Amritsar Prison
Prisons in India - wikipedia
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