# poll: life imprisonment or death? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 16, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722 "2004-06-16T19:53:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/1 "2004-06-16T19:53:10Z")
not sure if this had been done before. hypothetically, if you were given the choice between life imprisonment without chance of parole or death by lethal injection (or whatever), which would you choose? assuming that you’re guilty as charged. ---
**Author:** ![Vision\_of\_Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Vision\_of\_Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vision_of_Love)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/2 "2004-06-16T20:20:32Z")
Imprisonment. I may suffer a lot more by being in enclosed spaces my whole life, but I’m afraid of death. ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/3 "2004-06-16T20:27:45Z")
Depends. What would be the terms of the imprisonment? Would I get to visit the library, use a computer, have people visit me etc.? ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/4 "2004-06-16T20:42:22Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > poll: life imprisonment or death? Or… Cake or Death? I’ll have cake please, but if you’re all out of cake, I’ll have the chicken 😃 I think I would choose life in prison over death ---
**Author:** ![RainGrowsBrite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@RainGrowsBrite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RainGrowsBrite)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/5 "2004-06-16T20:53:09Z")
I would have to agree with\*\* sleeping\*\*, it would depend on the terms. However, I think that the terms wouldnt have to be all that somber for me to choose death. I’m not sure i could stand being stuck somewhere like that, having no freedom of choice. To me, in a way, that is a form of death. I would probably be a bit more eager to see if there was anything better past death. ---
**Author:** ![Kymodoce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8797f3/32.png) [@Kymodoce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kymodoce)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/6 "2004-06-16T20:56:47Z")
Life imprisonment, if we assume normal terms of imprisonment in a civilised society. I doubt I would ever be eager to see what came after death. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/7 "2004-06-16T21:38:55Z")
terms? no terms/unknown\*. only thing you’re sure is that you had done a _bad_ thing and luxury accomodation would not be expected. logically, i think i’d choose death. not quite sure if i’ll be able to make the choice though… - what can a criminal who is sentenced to life imprisonment without parole expect to receive for terms IRL? ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/8 "2004-06-16T21:57:46Z")
Death, why prolong the suffering? ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/9 "2004-06-16T22:00:50Z")
Death, as soon as possible, all appeals waived. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/10 "2004-06-16T22:14:54Z")
What a bunch of easy die-ers! Life, of course. You never know, the horse may learn to sing! ---
**Author:** ![Arch\_Trout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9f8e36/32.png) [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/11 "2004-06-16T22:28:56Z")
Imprisonment. As long as I could read then I’d be fine. A nintendo would be nice as well. The escape attempts would be fun as well. ---
**Author:** ![Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gut)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/12 "2004-06-16T22:34:00Z")
Death. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/13 "2004-06-16T22:47:54Z")
Life imprisonment in \*Disneyland \*would eventually suck, let alone prison. Gimme the needle and a cold beer and I’ll shoot my own gravy, thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/14 "2004-06-16T23:02:03Z")
My answer would depend a great deal on how likely I would be to be forced into conjugal visits with my fellow inmates… ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/15 "2004-06-16T23:37:15Z")
Depends on the living arangements… Isolation, sure. Books and music would be fine, and if I ever got really sick of it I could at least try to kill myself (and I’d have plenty of time to plan it). But in general prison population? No way. Also depends a lot on the way I’d have to go. A quick bullet in the head while I’m asleep would be fine, but anything big on drama like a long wait before I’m put in a chair with thousands of volts put through me, nope. And until I’m sure that death by lethal injection isn’t extremely painful (as some believe) I’d rather not go that way either. But this is only hypothetical, if I’m in the position where I did something wrong enough that the death penalty is assigned I wouldn’t be choosing (or complaining) about how I go. ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/16 "2004-06-17T05:10:00Z")
I’d choose death. Even though I’m against death-penalty. [mostly because mistakes are made] ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Sparky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Saint\_Sparky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Sparky)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/17 "2004-06-17T05:26:49Z")
Life. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/18 "2004-06-17T05:38:45Z")
Life. ---
**Author:** ![Shaolinrabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Shaolinrabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shaolinrabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/19 "2004-06-17T05:45:38Z")
I’d take life if we assume the possibility of escape. I’d rather get shot down by the guards then die too easily. I figure why not give it shot. Otherwise, death. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/20 "2004-06-17T15:03:52Z")
Life imprisonment. You never know, I might be able to escape. Or get off on some technicality. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722.md?page=2)