Other arguments for those who believe in the death penalty to favor a life sentence: It will prevent him from being considered a martyr. Al Qaida, ISIS and similar militant groups want to die for their cause, as they believe it carries big rewards in the afterlife. There's no great fundamentalist cause served by a life sentence to Supermax. It's death that brings glory in their view, not a lifetime of banishment.

In June and July, 2001, juries rejected the death penalty for two defendants in the 1998 Embassy bombing in Tanzania which killed 224 people. In the second case:

In announcing the verdict, for example, the jury forewoman said 7 of the 12 jurors concluded that ''if Khalfan Mohamed is executed, he will be seen as a martyr and his death may be exploited by others to justify future terrorist acts.

Life in prison without parole is a death sentence. The only way out is in a pine box. The only difference is timing.

Jahar is far from the worst of the worst. Whether by plea bargain or jury verdict, Zacarias Moussaoui, shoe bomber Richard Reid, Ramzi Yousef and Terry Nichols are all serving life sentences at Supermax. They have effectively been silenced, except for the occasional pro se court filing complaining of prison conditions.