How do you feel about the death penalty?

For the first time in more than 50 years, it’s been recommended in a murder trial – specifically, in the case of cop killer Ronell Wilson. ^[1]
This brought up a short conversation with my boyfriend last night (short because it was mostly me ranting) about the ever-increasing obviousness that our criminal system is not about rehabilitation at all and is focused on vengeance as justice. In a country in which your criminal past can prevent you from getting a job, when it can put you on a registry so that everyone can know what you did wherever you go, and when it can land you in a prison designed to make you miserable with no chance of hope or redemption beyond serving out your time and leaving bitter and defeated, one wonders why we bother calling it anything but.
I have no real recommendations to fix our broken penal system but something needs to be done. As we move increasingly towards more punishment, more pain and away from even cursory lip service to rehabilitation, we’re in danger of losing all sympathy for our fellow man.

[Photo from the Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty]