I have lived almost all of my natural life within looking
distance to the "Castle On The Hill", i.e., the
Kentucky State Maximum Security Prison, located on the banks
of Barkley Lake in Lyon Co., KY. I have personally visited the
prison twice, once on a field trip in high school, where I did
actually sit in the famed "electric chair", where
many prisoners were executed and, on a another occasion, when
I had taken the state test for Correctional Officer,(100 out
of 100) on the test, after my "short-lived" career
in the US Navy. It caused me to have second thoughts about
ever wanting to work in that place, being locked up with
murderer's, rapist's and other felons. I do remember one
question they asked me during the interview process. They
asked me, "How would I react to a uprising at the
prison?" Would you be willing to risk your life? I think
that one response to that was, "No, I would NOT risk my
life. If I am being held hostage and the possibility of me
losing my life, as the result of a uprising, then, I'm taking
as many of them with me when I go!" I think that more or
less, sealed my fate of my getting a job within the prison
system.
I have always been a strong proponent of the death penalty and
it is beyond me why these people should even expect humane
treatment, when the people they killed or murdered weren't
given a choice, if they wanted to live or die. Why should they
expect the state to be humane with them?! Whether it be by the
electric chair, lethal injection or the gas chamber. I think a
little "suffering" on their part would fit the
punishment they inflicted on the people they murdered and the
people who have had to deal with that person being gone, as a
direct result of the person who inflicted those personal
scars. You do the crime, you do the time. Life offers so many
choices to people that it isn't funny, but, why turn to
criminal activity? You know you will end up being caught,
tried and convicted for the offense. I could really care less
if you have shown remorse for your crime. The simple fact is,
you should have thought of that before you committed the
crime!
To disagree with the appeals process, I believe, that once you
have exhausted all appeals, then, punishment should be moved
forward. The only time I would agree to a more lengthy appeal
is when DNA evidence suggests otherwise. That could mean the
difference between "life & death" of a
individual who is or could be presummed innocent because of
such testing. However, when it has been proven, beyond a
reasonable doubt, that the person who did the crime is guilty,
why waste the time of appeals? It is a waste of resources,
taxpayer money and the senility of the victims associated with
the crime. The murder of someone, is and will forever remain,
the one crime that the person who committed the crime should
have to pay with his life. Why give them "life in
prison" when it is a burden on the system? A lot of what
is wrong with the system today could be fixed, in a relative
short period of time, if the appeal process is speeded up. I
can see why state budgets are over-stretched because of
"life in prison" sentences. The state taxpayer
shouldn't have to be burdened with the care and upkeep of
prisoners who have committed murder. Give them 4 to 5 years to
appeal their case and that's it, after that, it's
"light's out".
I am not against lawyers, however, I am against the system
they have created that bleed state budgets for all they're
worth. Trust me, the money could be put to better use to
improving other aspects of government. One look at the
infra-structure of our roads is one area that needs desperate
attention versus caring for prisoners that don't deserve it.