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Forgive me for using Tolkien as a philosophical authority, but this has always resonated with me:
"Many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise can not see all ends."
Who are we to say who "deserves" to die? Or what they will become if they are allowed to live? Are they beyond redemption? Perhaps. How do you know that death is justice? It is certainly a remedy to that particular person committing a crime again, but is it justice? Killing someone for a crime does not bring their victim back, and only contributes to a culture of violence. It only spreads more misery.
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"If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."
- Anatole France
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