People commit crimes mostly because they are not scared of the consequences...

As blurry a line it is to execute someone who doesn't commit murder, I think the sentence is justified. And many other crimes need a better punishment. I think most people would be inclined to finally listen to their concience and not do the crime if they are going to lose a hand for stealing, or public hangings, etc.

Amen, Kaos...we're on the same wavelength :-)

Although harsher punishment may prevent some crimes, rape could arguably not be one of them. If a person is imbalanced enough to rape a child (crap, what was the name of that movie, where the father drugs his family, and rapes his son's friend who is their as well) then the consequences may not be a large factor in the descision. Then again, it might, I dunno, I know so friggin little about this stuff, I am a horrible arguer, someone take over for me please.... or not.

Just think of it in office space terms...the reason it was OK to steal the money was because they might spend a few years in a white-collar prison...when they found out they'd be in a federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison, they were regretful and wished they hadn't done it. Just extrapolate...

Boy-raping priest: Dead
Gay Cannibal (Jeffrey Dahmer): Dead

Probably many others: Prisoners do not treat freaks very well

Well, of course you are going to know about the ones who were killed, thats news. Unless it's an incredibly slow news day, you are not likely to hear "Convicted child rapist has not been killed in prison today, more at 11."

Then again, I don't even know about the numbers of child rapists in prison, so maybe the few that are killed is a large portion (although I am not too optimistic about society to think that there are so few of them).