The concept is morally justified. It is not applied fairly. I believe it could be a proper deterrent, if only to the perpetrator. That's enough as far as I'm concerned. It takes too long to carry out. 18-20 years after the crime is too long. That could be considered ineffective and cruel. I support the death penalty for certain crimes, but not how it is applied now. That man who killed all those people in Colorado deserved it. If he doesn't get it, there's no point in having it. The woman in Georgia who contracted her husband's murder deserved it, but so did the actual hit man. Not fair.