The Editor, Sir:

Today I read the news item regarding the Prime Minister of Italy, Professor Romano Prodi, and his support of the abolition of the death penalty in Jamaica, and around the world for that matter. It made me nauseous.

Capital punishment for murder, in my view, IS a deterrent to murderers and the push for this justice should include the addressing of the concerns of a society plagued with senseless murders.

If the Jamaican Government wants to save the taxpayers millions of dollars then it should consider this: once that person is convicted of the capital crime, they should turn that criminal over to the relatives of the murdered person. Do you want to wager with me that that would deter murders?

I am, etc.,

D.K. BROWN

keithbrown@bellsouth.net

Tamarac, Fl