Functionally speaking, it’s not a great idea. Morally, it’s a grey area, but I’d let those criminals stay in prison, a lower quality prison, sure, but someone murdering someone else does not excuse us committing it in turn. An eye for an eye just makes the whole world blind, and it does nothing for justice, the sanctity of life, or for the families of those murdered themselves. The best way to deal with crime is to increase the certainty of punishment, not the severity. If everyone knew they’d get caught, and be sentenced to prison, then doing the crime sounds a lot…  Read more less appealing, since most everyone thinks they’d be able to avoid punishment. The law is built upon decisions of the people and those at the heads of government, which can be changed whenever society sees fit. Personally, I think it’s long overdue that we abandon the death penalty as a whole. It’s repercussions are surprisingly small, and most often signify a society that’s been able to actually deal with the justice system in a good manner.