It's good to know that those who support capital punishment despite the ever-present liklihood of executing innocents would be willing to take a few thousand volts themselves in favor of the cause, should they themselves be wrongfully convicted.

There are two major theories in justice: Punishment and Rehabilitation.

The problem with punishment alone is that it doesn't solve anything. Victims don't cease being victims and the perpetrators don't stop being criminals when they have lived up to their punishment. The only thing it does is contribute to a sense of vengeance. The death penalty is the supposed ultimate punishment -- but what does it solve? Nothing.

The problem with rehabilitation is that we just haven't figured it out. Some prisoners who work hard and better themselves while is prison DO turn their lives around, but I suspect that we only achieve this with the borderline cases -- criminals of circumstances like poverty and ignorance, not those who are truly bad or sociopathic.

I agree that it's perhaps time that we approach justice from a different standpoint, and I think Restitution might be a better strategy. Those who are victims might receive some small measure in return for their loss, the criminals are "punished" with work, and hard work and getting to know one's victims' point of view could certainly be rehabilitative. Meanwhile, the criminals are still secure from society and prevented from committing more crimes.