[AmishDude]

I don't think that commuting a death sentence to life imprisonment rises to the level of a second chance. It's entirely possible to be for wanting Tookie off the streets permanently, and against killing him.

If I recall correctly, a prisoner who'd been "permanently" incarcerated had escaped.

[goldstategop]

Yep. The one argument for the death penalty is that there's no chance the murderer can escape to kill again when he's free and there's no chance he'll ever get out of prison through misguided parole or (remember Wille Horton?) furlough. The only way out of the prison gates for a murderer is being rendererd stone-cold dead, sealed in a coffin.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")