Should Ariel Castro have been spared the death penalty?

[LSN80]

According to reports from CNN out of Cleveland, Castro has struck a deal in the kidnapping/raping and holding against their will of three women for more then a decade that, if accepted by a judge, will allow him life in prison and spare him the death penalty.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/26/justice/ohio-castro/index.html0

In May, a man named Charles Ramsey was eating lunch inside his home when he heard cries for help coming from Castro's home by one of the women Castro had kidnapped, Amanda Berry. Fearing a domestic dispute, Ramsey kicked in the door where the women were being held, and helped usher them to a nearby neighbor's house, where they called the police. Said Ramsey:

"I see this girl going nuts trying to get out of a house," "I go on the porch and she says, 'help me get out. I've been in here a long time.The woman came out with a little girl and said, "Call 911, My name is Amanda Berry. I didn't recognize the name or know she was missing."

Along with Berry, who had been missing since 2003, was her 6 year old daughter, whom Berry has confirmed was conceived with Castro via rape. Also being held by Castro was Gina DeJesus, who had been missing since 2004 when she was 14 years old, and Michelle Knight, who disappeared in 2002 when she was 21 years old.

Castro had been charged with 977 felony counts in all, most involving kidnapping and rape, but also one count of aggravated murder, on the belief that he had terminated a pregnancy of one of the women he had held captive and raped. The plea deal was asked for by an attorney for the three women, who wanted to spare the women having to testify, but would only be agreed upon by Castro's attorney if the death penalty was off the table.

This morning, the prosecution and Castro's attorney came to an agreement: Life in prison without parole.

My opinion: Ariel Castro is exactly the type of sub-human that the Death Penalty was created for. He shouldn't be able to enjoy a great film, read a good book, or even be able to laugh again. He shouldn't know kindness or love or partake in a good meal, all things possibly afforded him by having his life extended. However, there's something else that needs to be weighed, and that's the mental health of the women he held captive, for 11, 10 and 9 years respectively. Lord knows the horrors they experienced during their time in captivity, including what we know, which is that they were raped.

If it spares them having to face Castro even one more time, then life in prison as compared to death is a fair trade-off.

Is life in prison a fair trade-off from the death penalty for Ariel Castro? Why or why not?

All thoughts on this are welcome and encouraged.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

Life in prison is a lot worse, especially for someone who abused women. He should just take the needle and call it a day.

He will be beaten and raped in jail before being killed. Prisoners don't like women abusers or child abusers.

 

[HBsam31]

Life in prison is a lot worse, especially for someone who abused women. He should just take the needle and call it a day.

He will be beaten and raped in jail before being killed. Prisoners don't like women abusers or child abusers.

I tend to agree with this. Let him get a taste of his own medicine. In some ways I find the death penalty an easy way out for some of these scumbags. I know a guy who went to prison for dealing drugs, and he told me some of the things guys like this go through in jail. He will be punished far worse than if he were to have received death. I also think that it is a good thing that these woman were spared from having to testify against him. I am sure that is something they don't need to deal with after what they went through.

 

[The Butcher]

While life in prison may be physically rougher on the con, it's a drain on society. He may get beaten or raped a few times, but eventually he'll be put in solitary confinement to prevent that from happening. Once that happens, he gets three squares, reading material, chaplain services, healthcare, etc. The inmate gets to live a sad, but safe and relatively comfortable life, especially in contrast to what he did to get there.

He should face death; unfortunately, the plethora of deaths he deserves are all considered cruel and unusual. Be that as it may, he still should be sent to face whatever waits for him in the great hereafter, whatever that may or may not be. He doesn't deserve even a miserable life, and taxpayers shouldn't bear the burden of supporting it.

 

[Mustang Sally]

He may get beaten or raped a few times, but eventually he'll be put in solitary confinement to prevent that from happening. Once that happens, he gets three squares, reading material, chaplain services, healthcare, etc. The inmate gets to live a sad, but safe and relatively comfortable life, especially in contrast to what he did to get there.

Understandable, but it doesn't deal with the one factor we rarely consider: taking away one's personal freedom. That's something people don't think about until they lose it. My brother used to play volleyball in an industrial league and one of the other teams was the Federal Correctional Institute in Danbury, Connecticut. They played against the prisoners just as with every team in the league, but at the prison (the prisoners didn't have "away" games). My brother said everything was fine until it was time to leave; he reflected that the visitors were going home, or out to parties, restaurants, dates....whatever they wanted to do. He said the prisoners watched the other team go knowing that all they had to return to was their cells. He said the look in their eyes made him realize how important your personal freedom is and how little we value it.....until it's been taken away. We speak of our freedoms in America, but I wonder if we realize how precious those freedoms really are. We take this for granted because we can.

Personally, I would rather see Castro dead; it seems a worthy punishment for his crimes. But maybe, if we really want to punish him, we force him to spend his life in jail.

At any rate, his lawyers are fighting for his life. He apparently would rather spend the rest of his days behind bars than be put to death, probably not considering the daily torture of having his freedoms removed forever. In either alternative, he'll suffer.....which is only proper.

How about this for a deliciously cruel thought?...... find out which choice he favors....and force the other one on him?

 

[Davi323]

Executions take years to do. Lawyers exhaust all possible avenues first. In other words, there will be plenty of time for Ariel Castro to be assaulted and ass raped in prison before getting executed. He will not be treated kindly at all while he waits for his death.

 

[HBsam31]

Understandable, but it doesn't deal with the one factor we rarely consider: taking away one's personal freedom. That's something people don't think about until they lose it. My brother used to play volleyball in an industrial league and one of the other teams was the Federal Correctional Institute in Danbury, Connecticut. They played against the prisoners just as with every team in the league, but at the prison (the prisoners didn't have "away" games). My brother said everything was fine until it was time to leave; he reflected that the visitors were going home, or out to parties, restaurants, dates....whatever they wanted to do. He said the prisoners watched the other team go knowing that all they had to return to was their cells. He said the look in their eyes made him realize how important your personal freedom is and how little we value it.....until it's been taken away. We speak of our freedoms in America, but I wonder if we realize how precious those freedoms really are. We take this for granted because we can.

Personally, I would rather see Castro dead; it seems a worthy punishment for his crimes. But maybe, if we really want to punish him, we force him to spend his life in jail.

At any rate, his lawyers are fighting for his life. He apparently would rather spend the rest of his days behind bars than be put to death, probably not considering the daily torture of having his freedoms removed forever. In either alternative, he'll suffer.....which is only proper.

How about this for a deliciously cruel thought?...... find out which choice he favors....and force the other one on him?

This is a very good point. I had a a close friend spend some time in jail for drug related things. He told me that one of the things that drove him crazy was not knowing what was going on with sports. I know it doesn't sound like much, but he was an avid pro sports fan and it made him realize then that his freedom was gone for the time he had to spend inside. I take a car ride every night before bed. It is my time, and I think about things and listen to music. It's a basic freedom I would not have if I were behind bars. Being in prison for ever would probably force me into the mental ward, and you are right we do take it for granted. Like you said, either way he will suffer.