It was that sort of thinking that finally settled my mind on the Death Penalty. I was for it, then I wasn't ("vengeance is mine", etc). But I realized that, by allowing murderers to live, you're agreeing with them that their lives are far more valuable than the lives of their victims.

They knew that already - that they are "more important" than the people they kill - otherwise they wouldn't be murdering. They'd also prefer never to be caught and prosecuted at all (because how dare Society judge them??) but when they are caught/sentenced, it's pretty great for them that society is so "noble" to allow them to live, even allowing them the possibility of getting out and maybe killing again.

Nowadays, I'm of the mindset that we should treat these people as they are - broken, no longer entirely human and just send them back to God. The only other option is complete and utter exile and I don't mean "time spent in a prison with privileges". I mean exile far away from everyone, where the only harm they can do would be to themselves.