The United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Organization of American States and the World Council of Churches all support abolition of the death penalty. When offered a range of sentencing options, respondents in several polls have shown a preference for imprisonment rather than execution. A 1987 U.S. Justice Department poll, for instance, found imprisonment favored over the death penalty by a 2-1 margin as the sentence for first degree murder. Numerous state polls have found the public ready to abolish capital punishment in favor of a sentence of 25 years or more, combined with restitution to the victim's family. Two wrongs do not make a right, and the death penalty will not bring murder victims back to life.
Executions continue a cycle of violence by signaling that it's okay to kill.
It is important to think carefully about these life and death issues. Most of us want easy answers, but unfortunately, there are no easy answers. The death penalty will not reduce violent crime in our society. Neither will life imprisonment without parole. Quick-fix solutions are designed to win elections, not to solve the crime problem.