Should the death penalty be an option in criminal punishment?

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No, it's barbaric and a product of hatred and vengeance, which are vile emotions and essentially forms of schadenfreude. Retribution has no philosophical standing, we just like it because of our hatred. The justice system should be based on deterrence (and maybe rehabilitation) only, not retribution. (And that doesn't imply that a person who's beyond rehabilitation should be put to death either).

Everyone is innocent on the most ultimate level. Whatever somebody is or does, there are reasons for that, or if not then it's due to absolute randomness. Even if that's not necessarily true, all the world's a stage, and everyone is bravely exploring the space of all possible experiences, both the "good" and the "bad" (which are ultimately human judgements), and we all collectively grow in the process.

Either way, even if evil really were an objective and rightfully contemptible thing, to condemn someone to death is to overstep our authority as human beings, who don't really, deeply understand the meaning of life *or* death.

There's no such thing as what someone "deserves" except insofar as one "deserves" what is best for them and everyone else involved. I can't even remotely believe that the actual best thing to do for all involved is ever to hurt someone just for the sake of making them suffer or be damaged (death being the ultimate form of damage).

Here's something wise that Mike Dooley said in one of his books:

'Have you ever wondered how you might behave in someone else's shoes? If you have, you'll likely admit that this kind of thinking is usually critical of the person of the person you're thinking about. The truth is, you are the other person, and they are behaving exactly as you would if you were indeed in the exact same shoes--however inconsiderate, abusive, outrageous, or immoral their behavior is.'

'True, you are probably more thoughtful, fearless, loving, and honest than those who disappoint you. But you are also at a different point in your journey, maybe "more advanced," or maybe just more at ease for having chosen a less "challenging" path. We're all of "one," exhibiting different colors of the same light, and rather than passing judgment, it's best to remember that each of us is just doing the best we can.'"

I also answered this question here https://kiwi.qa/inhahe/56336846170470568 and here and here https://kiwi.qa/inhahe/56337608984344749 (saying most of the same things I said above, but maybe a few thinsg I didn't) and wrote more on the subect of hatred here https://myriachromat.wordpress.com/2017/02/05/is-hatred-ever-truly-justified/