The ultimate punishment - death. It prevents the criminal from enjoying his spoils, prevents recidivism, eliminates the need to house and feed prisoners, and ends all haranguing and argument - quick and convenient. The death sentence is seen as the perfect answer by some and a colossal mistake by others. Why the polarity? Law and order types tend to view the death sentence as solving their problems, particularly as they and their friends are never on death row. If someone is put to death by mistake, well, no big loss. They were headed in that direction anyway. Empathetic types with a social conscience put themselves in the sentenced one's shoes and imagine an innocent man's thoughts and feelings. Unbearable.
Is the death sentence unique to the Earth? Not at all. All 3rd Density cultures have a death sentence in some form, though vary as to the invoking circumstances or prevalence. Even water worlds, where intelligent life is not in a form that can wreak violence on one another, sentence each other to death. To carry out the sentence entrapment and starvation are used. As 3rd Density cultures are allowed to function without interference, the prevalence of the death sentence can be misleading.
After 3rd Density things change. 4th Density Service-to-Others cultures never imprison or punish each other, as there is no need. All wish to be of service to the group, and have remorse when another is harmed. There are no crimes, only mistakes. There is no punishment, only amends. There is no probation, only assistance and offers of help. In 4th Density Service-to-Self cultures the death sentence is an inappropriate name for the frequency with which members are arbitrarily killed. Where the rules are tight death seldom occurs as then a worker has been lost. However, as in most dictatorships, the lower levels can usually do as they please as long as quotas are being met and matters humming along as expected. In Service-to-Self cultures members are put to death because they are lame or old or lazy. If they take advantage of one another, commit a crime, that is of no consequence unless the hierarchy finds their expectations have not been met.
Between orientations the Rules of Engagement prevail. It would not happen that a Service-to-Others member would be sentenced by a Service-to-Self group, or vice versa. Therefore, in truth, there is no death sentence after 3rd Density. Among the Service-to-Others death at the hands of another never occurs unless a member has gone berserk, insane, and kills another while not themselves, or unless there is an accident. Among the Service-to-Self death at the hands of another is not a sentence, as there is no trial. Death is arbitrary and sudden, because one member annoyed another, or for sport, or because they were deemed to be taking from the group more than they were contributing. The death sentence has for them become a death solution, solely.