[rvoitier]

My 2¢: Capital punishment works only if executed in a timely fashion in the same way a dog doesn't know it's done a bad thing unless it suffers the consequences upon committing the act.

There are too many convicts on death row, imho. Sitting here in the comfort of my home in front of my computer I can pontificate from a philosophical viewpoint on how all those on death row should be put to death...NOW! Gee, what a concept. Staying philosophical and fantasizing of a perfect world, here would be my plan to make capital punishment WORK:
There are very close to 18,250 convicts on death row. Using the Pavlov-dog theory, execute one convict EVERYDAY in EVERY STATE for a YEAR.
That would:

• clear pending executions
• awake the potential criminals to consequences
• serve notice that death chambers are "Open For Business"

The flip side to my philosophical nirvana is what we have today--a fucked up society that prays on little children.

[Bonaparte]

"...serve notice that death chambers are "Open For Business"

No problems over here. But before death row is "open for business," it will first have to be "under new management." Every first degree murder trial should be on a rocket docket. Appeals exhausted in 5 years max. No commutations or pardons for death sentences -- presidential or otherwise. This last will take constitutional amendments, state and federal.