The death penalty

[PvtPyle]

A father has been convicted of murdering his baby daughter who died when her spine was "snapped in two".

James Howson, 25, of Nelson Road, in Edlington, Doncaster, held 16-month-old Amy over his knee and broke her back in two, Leeds Crown Court heard.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/s...re/7682771.stm

A former outdoor activities instructor convicted of sexually abusing children at youth camps has been jailed for 12 years at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Colin Macdonald, 61, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was found guilty in August of 10 charges of abusing children from the deaf community.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...st/7681773.stm

Someone needs to explain to me in small words that my Neanderthal intellect can compute what purpose it serves to keep these two individuals alive and breathing. Is society's moral superiority, and our overly emotive refusal to accept "state sponsored murder", honestly worth the thought of the taxpayer actually keeping these two fed, clothed, sheltered and cared for medically and psychologically in prison for the next umpteen years?

Edit: I should add that this is hardly a debate that has not gone round in circles 1000s of times before, and the first reposte will be "it costs more to kill someone than to keep them alive", to which I would respond that in a guess such as the first, where there is NO doubt in the court's mind, then there should simply be no appeal process. Bullets are cheap, and highly effective. Court cases are expensive, and rarely effective at all. If he was unable to prove diminished responsibility during sentencing, then he should face the chair, injection or a firing squad.