If criminals know the consequences of knowing they're going on Death Row why kill whoever they killed?

Most murders aren't preplanned but carried out in the heat of the moment. Potential consequences aren't uppermost in the criminal's mind at the time.

Whether or not the worst criminals know about the possible consequences they don't pay much attention to them. They figure they won't be caught, and on this point, many of them are right.

The huge money spent on the death penalty system would be much better spent on identifying and apprehending criminals. Life without parole costs much less than the death penalty.

psychologists have studied this extensively and their findings are that the far away consequence of maybe, someday being put to death humanely is not a deterrent to criminal action.

now, if execution was the week after conviction and brutally painful -- maybe it would have some effect.

***

the point of humane death penalties, then, is to prevent a proved killer/rapist/ etc. from harming the next victim -- these people don't stop committing crimes and they don't change their behavior -- so what we do is remove them, permanently, from possibly doing it again.

of course, there is no statistic for the number of future murders prevented because we executed brutal felons. That there isn't makes the 'debate' rather one sided -- on the other hand, it can be argued that the continuing breakdown in civilized behavior that most western societies have seen is because we've become far too lenient with punishments.

You're assuming that (1) they do know the consequences and (2) if they know the consequences, they believe they'll get caught, so that the consequences will apply to them. (1) is relatively common, (2) not so much.

because 60% are never caught.

30% don't get the death penalty and in some states there IS no death penalty.

30 years of appeals if you DO get it.

100 people a year executed in the US? Max?

Pretty slim odds

Rotting in a room for the rest of your life watching yourself waste away and constantly being plagued by the notion that you could have prevented this is worse than being killed and having it all over with.

For the same reason that all criminals do any crime even though all crimes have penalties: They don't think they'll get caught, or they don't really care if they're caught.

Do you think someone who kills someone is really thinking things through logically?

They aren't rational.

Your'e right. Its almost like it doesnt work.