Is lifelong imprisonment inhumane?

[Jimmy]

People frequently debate the ethics of capital punishment, though I never see anyone debate the ethics of lifelong imprisonment. That really baffles me.

While it may come as a surprise to many people, there are some countries that have not only abolished capital punishment, but have also abolished lifelong imprisonment as well. Below are some examples with the "harshest" penalty imposable in parenthesis:

Norway (21 years), Ecuador (25 years), Portugal (25 years), Uruguay (30 years), Honduras (40 years), Dominican Republic (30 years), Brazil (30 years).

Some cases to put these examples into context:

-Anders Breivik was convicted of 77 murders and is currently serving a 21 year sentence in Norway.

-Pedro Alonso Lopez was convicted of 57 murders (though he confessed to more than 300) and served 16 years in Ecuador (instead of the 25) for "good" behavior.

-Daniel Barbosa was convicted of 150 murders in Ecuador; however, he was killed in prison (by the cousin of one of his victims) before serving his sentence.

-Pedro Rodrigues Filho was convicted of 71 murders (though he confessed to more than 100) and is currently serving a 30 year sentence in Brazil.

 

[Chill]

The only time i agree with life imprisonment is if a life is taken. I stand by, if you're good enough to take a life you're good enough to give a life.

 

[Joey]

i feel like it is needed if you kill that many people you deserve no light or anything

 

[Color]

In your examples you haven't given the full side of it though. Often in countries that use this way, they will be re-tried when nearing the end of their sentence, there's a good chance they be sent back time and time again. I agree with lifelong improsnment, especially if they've font sever damage to a person or family. If they've ruined a life, they don't deserve any better.

 

[Chiraqqq]

The only time i agree with life imprisonment is if a life is taken. I stand by, if you're good enough to take a life you're good enough to give a life.

I agree with this to the max, but for some reason I am still against the death penalty for less than 2 murders. For OP thes men were murderers that deserve the death penalty, I just get disgusted at reading what they've done and the numbers of ppl whose lives they gave no shit for.

 

[Mike]

We should put people with those sentences down they cost nothing but wasted money and they wonder why were bitching bout dem taxes. Cause i know me personally i could care less about helping a ped stay alive in jail i would want them put to sleep. JS

 

[Stoner]

There's one answer to that and it's simply "Survival Of The Fitest"

 

[Doug]

No instead of life they should just kill you, it's much simpler then wasting resources and tax dollars housing them.

 

[Nevermind]

I think it is very inhumane, but I also believe that the death penalty is also flawed. People die without enough evidence to prove that they even did anything.