text: why should we keep people in prison for life? why would we not choose to unburden our society and sentence them to death? because capital punishment is abolished in some states such as ny, therefor ppl there can only recieve life for the most henious offenses.  although the rosenbergs were executed for espionage by the federal government in 1953, it is unlikely for someone to be sentenced to death except for committing murder(1) with one of several aggrevating factors to put some ppl to death such as murder with rape, buglary, etc.   then everyone serving life terms are not in for murder, such as habitual sex offenders and some ppl who recieve life sentences are subject to parole.  many recieve clemency. in addition, some ppl such as minors and the mentally ill who recieve life are barred from the death penalty but may be given life in prison. some believe that a sentence of life imprisonment is just as bad, if i was sentenced to 344 years in prison without parole, life without parole, or death id be screwed either way.  also many juries refrain from sentencing death because of their beliefs. some see it as cruel and unusual. hanging, firing squad, electocution, and the gas chamber all have evidence of suffering. and it even took john wayne gacy to die in pain for about half an hour for a debotchment in his lethal injection.  and finally contrary to popular believe, it causes tax payers more to execute someone then to keep them in prison for life. although life imprisonment is expensive over time, a death sentence is a big burden at once as it scost millions.