# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/21 "2004-06-17T15:32:44Z")
Death. ---
**Author:** ![BrattiAtti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@BrattiAtti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrattiAtti)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/22 "2004-06-17T17:37:16Z")
For me it depends on the crime. If I was convicted of something “tame” like a drug crime or vehicular manslaughter, I would choose life. If I was convicted of child molestation or rape, something that would get me a lot of flack from other prisoners, I would be the coward and choose death by lethal injection. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/23 "2004-06-17T17:55:10Z")
I wouldn’t get caught. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2004, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/24 "2004-06-26T08:00:50Z")
just to round up, of 16 votes half goes to each choice. imprisonment 8 death 8 ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2004, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/25 "2004-06-26T09:56:56Z")
Life. I’ve spent plenty of days stuck in places I don’t want to be and somehow managed to survive with my sanity intact. I think I could handle it for extended periods of time as well. Plus, there’s always the chance of escape. ---
**Author:** ![Lockz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Lockz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lockz)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/26 "2004-06-26T14:17:53Z")
I’d choose death. Why burden the taxpayers with feeding & housing me? I wouldn’t be doing anything worthwhile, and I’d be useless. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2004, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/27 "2004-06-26T14:24:06Z")
If caught, I’d take imprisonment. I’ll always have that chance to escape. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tiggrkitty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tiggrkitty/32/17966_2.png) [@Tiggrkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiggrkitty)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2004, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/28 "2004-06-26T16:41:33Z")
Assuming I was guilty of the deed. Death please. I would not do well trapped inside a box day in, and day out. Plus I would be terrified of the people in prison. The thought of being raped by a guard or becoming someone’s “wife” just does not appeal to me. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/29 "2004-06-28T05:47:49Z")
It depends on how bad I feel about the crime I committed. If it’s something that I felt completely remorseless about—like, say, killing a guy who murdered my wife and kids—I might take life imprisonment, provided I could stay in isolation. (I could stand living in a metal closet, as long as I had books.) There’s always the chance that I might get paroled, or that I could escape. However, if I’d done something I did feel remorse about—say, I got drunk, and ran over a bunch of orphans and their sick puppy—I’d probably feel so bad about it that I’d kill _myself,_ if I had the chance. (That, or slip into hysterical catatonia.) I certainly wouldn’t mind being executed at that point. But if I _were_ sentenced to death, I _would_ prefer that it not be lethal injection. What a wimpy way to die…I’d want a firing squad, or a guillotine, or something. That, or something that’d let my organs and tissues be harvested to save the lives of others. (Waste not, want not.) ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/30 "2004-06-28T15:31:14Z")
I think I’d rather choose death. Prison would be such hell to me that if the state didn’t do me in I’d probably be driven crazy enough to kill myself instead. I’m assuming worst-case scenario (convicted of child molestation, being prison-raped and hated by even the serial murderers, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![holdmytail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@holdmytail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/holdmytail)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/31 "2004-06-28T16:00:32Z")
> [@clayton\_e](#): > > 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. Lethal injection may be painful? Isn’t it like animal euthanesia, like an overdose of anesthetic? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/32 "2004-06-28T16:04:50Z")
At first I thought death, but I thought I could just give imprisonment a try and commit suicide if I have to. So, I choose life, at least at first. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/33 "2004-06-29T07:36:47Z")
Life…I could at least try to escape…It might not be so bad maybe its like a very strict and permanent school that has no grading system…yeah I’m being stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/34 "2004-06-29T07:55:32Z")
Death, unless I can get a decent deal. You know, access to books, a computer, the SDMB, not having to meet any scumbags. Stuff like that. Lacking that, it’s death all the way. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/35 "2004-06-30T18:54:04Z")
is there a ‘good’ way (and stabbing yourself with a fork is not a good way) to commit suicide/die in prison? i have posted the op with the assumption that life imprisonment would be just that - being forced to live out the rest of your miserable life behind bars. i cannot even comprehend what it would take to make dying by fork a consideration… with regards to escape, yes, there is always hope. hope, a picture of marilyn monroe and a good spoon. btw, the poll thus far is still half imprisonment (12), half death (12) and 8 abstains. ---
**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 30, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/36 "2004-06-30T19:30:36Z")
> [@holdmytail](#): > > Lethal injection may be painful? Isn’t it like animal euthanesia, like an overdose of anesthetic? Looks [painless](http://www.cdinet.demon.co.uk/lethalin.htm) enough to me. ---
**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 30, 2004, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/37 "2004-06-30T19:32:54Z")
While we’re [at it.](http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?scid=8&did=479) Understand, I do oppose capital punishment, but not on grounds that it is “inhumane.” And while I do apologize for the hijack, this information may be useful in making the decision at hand. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/38 "2004-07-01T15:10:10Z")
hmm, is morphine better? if so, why isn’t it used instead? on the other hand, if it’s untrained technicians that are the cause of problems… ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/39 "2004-07-01T23:26:55Z")
I agree 100% with **Ranchoth**. For example if I killed my twin sister in a jealous rage, I’d choose death. If, OTOH, I killed the guy who murdered my sister, I’d probably choose life. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722/40 "2004-07-02T22:53:45Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > Looks [painless](http://www.cdinet.demon.co.uk/lethalin.htm) enough to me. The woman received ONE of the injections, which probably would be painful. If she were getting the real deal, and recieved them in the correct order, she would’ve died painlessly. The claim on that website is that lethal injections really are painful to those getting the death penalty. I doubt it. The fact that one injection with out the rest may very well be painful, but when all three are used it’s ok. Just like when you get knocked out and get your rib cage split open for heart surgery. Do you feel that? Sorry for the hi-jack, but the claims that injections are painful to those getting death, is ridiculous. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-life-imprisonment-or-death/250722.md?page=3)