The idea behind three strikes and death sentences, as I understand it, is that some people have proven unreformable, and therefore must be removed from society

The idea behind three strikes and death sentences, as I understand it, is that some people have proven unreformable, and therefore must be removed from society for the sake of everyone else. Of course death and permanent incarceration isn't the point, but what do you do if you run across someone who genuinely seems unable to reform and function safely? I'm not writing this intending to endorse three strikes laws or death sentences, but you're arguing against a point that I don't think is being made. (Now, my own personal opinion is that we ought to be taking a closer look at why the penal system is doing such a poor job reforming criminals, and that "3 strikes laws" feel a lot like "we've tried nothing and we're all out of ideas".)