I disagree entirely with the death penalty (I guess it's one of those marmite topics). As a deterrent, it's rubbish. I think that's been proven by the fact that harsh penalties for crimes haven't deterred any crime at all. We have a 67% recidivism rate (within 2 years)in the UK. That means that 67% of people who were jailed are reconvicted within 2 years of their release. If they aren't deterred then what chance do you have of deterring those who haven't been incarcerated?People don't commit crimes with the consequences in mind because they don't think they're going to get caught! Obviously, the points regarding miscarraiges of justice have been made so I won't go into that. What purpose does it serve to punish those who've committed crimes? Who gives the state the right to take life? How do you regulate this 100% sure stuff people are on about? Evidence is never 100%. It's just way to sketchy for me to consider as a reasonable choice.