It's the law of the land, so maybe you are in the fringe on this issue.
I see nothing wrong with revenge as a motive in punishment. Society has a right to seek vengence on those like McVeigh and the Beltway Sniper. Their excecutions should be public IMO. If anything, the death penalty should be expanded, not abolished.
Keeping people locked away for life is far easier said than done. No prison is 100%, and there will always be groups like the ACLU and idiot judges who think that criminals should have more rights than their victims.