I know that Manson got sentenced to death and then ended up with life in prison after the penalty was abolished. I think that death would be good for him and keep his cohorts with life in prison. It seems to make them suffer more that they live in prison and considering how they keep trying to get out, I cannot imagine a more exquisite form of torture for them.
It would be a more horrible punishment for me to spend the rest of my life locked up.