I'm not really sure we should be removing the death penalty unless we fully commit to actually rehabilitating prisoners instead of just caging them for years on end. Life in prison should only be used very sparingly, and solitary confinement should be abolished for all situations except temporary (weeks) use.
I don't understand why people can be so against the death penalty but then shrug at life in prison. Can you imagine being locked up in your 20s or even 30s for life? I know a couple people who have spent time in prison/jail (albeit not max security, as they were not violent), and they both say it's hell. So at that point you might as well just kill the person, and if humans didn't have such a powerful self-preservation instinct embedded in their psyche, they'd probably opt for that too. Life in prison / extended solitary confinement is torture.
If society demands life in prison or death, then you're not really doing the convict a favor by giving life in prison. That's the more inhumane option between the two.
You're making (as usual) very valuable points. Life imprisonment can be considered more severe than execution, so there's no suprise many prisoners either ask for the death penalty or, if already sentenced, drops their remaining appeals to just get over with this.
This man is a very good example. He actually killed while in prison, so he can get a death sentence.
Are there people beyond rehabilitation? Yes. Are there people just too dangerous to ever let loose? Yes. But they does not represent the full picture.
Putting people in jail en masse, especially for lesser offenses, does not benefit the society. It more frequently turns redeemable individuals into more dangerous criminals, not to mention the great burden on the taxpayers to keep overcrowded prisons running.
As of more serious offender, I'm inclined to favor the Norwegian system. The maximum sentence is 20 years, but can be extended if an individual is deemed too dangerous to be released (that's why, despite right-wing screams, Breivik is very unlikely to ever get out). Their main focus is on rehabilitation and they get better results on this field than "let's put more people in jail" systems.
So absolutely, opposing the death penalty while turning a blind eye on stuffing prisons with people is at least inconsistent.