Death Penalty’s Purpose

Alan Berlow states that execution of the mentally ill doesn’t serve the purposes of either retribution or deterrence, which he claims are central to the justifications for the death penalty (Commentary, May 12). However, retribution is defined as “payback.” If he is positing that it matters what the killer thinks about his crime or his death sentence, he’s mistaken. Retribution isn’t for the killer. It’s for the public. I would put down a vicious killer, regardless of age or mental capacity, for the same reason I’d put down a vicious dog: I feel better when it’s gone.

Joseph D. Phillips

Whittier