[Shazbut]

Yes, it is a tough one. Ones that cant be rehabilitated and kept in prison for the rest of their natural lives and costing the tax payer millions of pounds/dollars to keep them there. And of course, those so depraved that they continue to laugh in the face of surviving families.

But I still cant get my head round us putting people down for crimes committed - it just doesnt compute for me.

Couldnt we go back to an Alcatraz or Papillion type form of imprisonment? Just stick the totally depraved on an island and leave them to fend for themselves. If they want to maim, torture, rape and kill each other, then so be it.

The only cost to the state would be the boat/helicopter trip to and from the island.

Dunno! :confused:

Richard Speck was like many serial killers in that he had sustained a head injury as a child, and was from a dysfunctional family - alcohol fuelled abuse, etc..
There is a pattern that runs through most serial killer stories.
I remember watching a documentary a few years ago whereby the producers of this very well known British programme (Panorama) decided to liaise with Britain's top child protection charity (the NSPCC). They started off by listing all the symptoms of a potential serial killer, starting from early age. Things like, torturing small animals and lighting fires. They were asking the general public to make an effort to become aware of these kinds of symptoms and to involve social services and namely the NSPCC if they ever witnessed that kind of behaviour in any child. The reasoning being, that if a child could be re-habilitated at a young age, the potential to become a murderer/serial killer later in life was lessened.
Of course the problem is, that children with that potential are normally from families where the parent(s) are blind, ignorant, indifferent, apathetic to their own circumstances and basically ignore the needs of their children - not caring how abuse, violence, abandonment, etc., affect their children.
It boils down to relying on the conscientious citizen to take the initiative - but I wonder how many people remember even watching the documentary?