I don't know (well, yes, more money should be spent by the state on higher education). I saw an interview some years ago now with one of the Manson women. She said (as I recall), "If I had been executed, I never would have had to face what I had done. I wanted to be executed. I would have gone to my death thinking I was right. Now I wake up every day knowing I'm one of the destroyers instead of being one of the creators."

So - I suppose it depends on your sense of what the purpose of judicial punishment should be ....

(Btw, even though it's a laptop, you are not obligated to put it in your lap. You're allowed to put it anywhere that's comfortable for you - even on your desk!)