I assume the point is to get them to cooperate and force them into a “no seriously stop doing shit, don’t try to keep wielding power or doing more crimes, sit down, shut up, and do your time” position without the consequences of actually just executing them. Like in practical terms what’s the difference between “they’re sitting in a cell and can’t keep being the ringleader of something or trading favors or whatever because if they do that’s it for them” and “they’re actually gone forever, but someone had to do it to them”? In the latter case you’ve made someone deal with killing them, and you also have no further stick to force them to not fight back as hard as they can before that point with every connection or hidden asset they may have.