you'd think the death penalty would be more efficient, eh?

by Anonymous 10 years ago

IF it is.........a link providing information showing that it truly is would be helpful. Many death row inmates average a 20 -30 yr. wait before even being put to death. So, theoretically it seems like it would be less expensive because once a guy has been executed, the taxpayer no longer has to pay for his stay in prison. There are others who will still be there for another 20 - 50 years resulting in ongoing expense.

by Anonymous 10 years ago

http://www.acadp.org/contents/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=40:costs&catid=14 It does cost more to kill a prisoner than to keep them for life.

by Anonymous 10 years ago

OK, just read your link and several others. Just for the sake of discussion, it appears that the average (not exact figures) cost for a death row inmate is about $1.5 million and the average annual inmate cost is roughly $50,000. So all inmates are reaching the million dollar mark at 20 years. The OP's post did not allude to abolishing the death penalty (even though they may desire such), and I don't see that as the ONLY or even best solution. The excessive costs are not the fault of the taxpayer; those costs are due to a faulty and outdated Court system. If we are going to use the logic that abolishing something because of cost as the solution, then let's be equally consistent and apply it to ALL overpriced burdens in our society. We should start with the cost of every illegal immigrant that is passed on to the taxpayer to feed, clothe, educate, house, pay medical expenses, and pay for every baby they have in America. Those costs are staggering and are about to get even bigger. Everyone wants a FREE meal ticket and the enjoyment of benefits, but less and less people are contributing in the work force. Common sense and simple math tells anyone who cares to think it through that at some point collapse is imminent. Once the collapse occurs, then what will we all do? Nobody is even talking about that.

by Anonymous 10 years ago

You're right i wasn't suggesting abolishing the death penalty. I'm only saying we're going about it the wrong way if it costs more than life in prison. They had it right back when they just hung criminals in the town square

by Anonymous 10 years ago

Thank you. This is helpful. It is nice when the OP jumps back in to their own post and comments and sort of steers the direction others are taking. Hanging and the six shooter seemed to solve things quickly and no tax burden on the citizens. I love watching re-runs of old Westerns (Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Rifleman, Lawman), and one thing about it, problems were resolved almost on the spot. On a Gunsmoke episode I watched yesterday, 3 guys spent the night in jail and the next morning told Marshall Dillon that they needed to get out of jail and quit wasting the townspeople's money! I looked up several websites regarding this issue, and it is mind boggling how much is being spent just to "house" prisoners. The bulk of the death row cost is in the multiple trial and Court red tape. Bureaucracy seems to always mess up everything. Streamlining is NOT the government's forte.

by Anonymous 10 years ago