I don’t know that in my adult life I have ever wished the death of any person. I hope I haven’t, I wouldn’t be surprised if I had.
I didn’t write that I oppose the death penalty out of concern for the criminal, nor that I would even seek to abolish it. Neither did I say I wanted to release anyone from prison for “good behavior”. You’re reading into what I wrote something that simply isn’t there.
As for the use of the death penalty not having an effect on society other than to make us safer. I disagree. I agree it certainly makes us safe from the executed criminal. It does seem to coincide with brutality and coarseness though, that is to say that those who scream for executions are usually not the sort of people I want to be like anyhow.
If one is looking at it as retaliation, yes. If justice, no.
The people who commit crimes worthy of the death penalty know that what they have done is wrong and deserving of it and yet they choose to go ahead and do it anyway. It's their risk and their choice.
The death penalty should not be meted out capriciously, but it does have its place and ought to be used when the situation warrants it with no detriment to society.