Is the death penalty more expensive that life in prison without parole? By how much?
99908
I don't know the number.  I have heard that on the average it is cheaper to excerise the death penalty.  But I suppose it would all depend on the individual and how old he/she was when the sentance started.\n\nHere is a good site:\nhttp://www.deathpenalty.org/index.php?pid=cost\n\nThere are two more listed below.
155423
No difference.  Death penalty has limited deterrence because it takes so long for the actual execution.
633507
We stopped capital punishment many years ago in this country (UK).  The result has been that murders are on the increase every year, as a 'life' sentence can see a prisoner released in as few as six years with good behaviour etc.\n\nThe absence of capital punishment, in my belief, discriminates against the victim.  With the advent of DNA fingerprinting, the chances of convicting the wrong person for a crime should be 3,000,000:1.  Unfortunate if you are the 1, but far more likely that you would be in the 3,000,000 - unless, of course, you committed the crime....
884151
If the severity of punishment were a real and viable tool, then the death penalty should have worked years ago.  The fact of that matter is, it deters no one.  People still commit murder all of the time. All you can do (after the fact) is lock them up without possibility of parole.
43087
According to the figures on the source site, death penalty states have higher murder rates. So it doesn't seem to be much of a deterrent.
126107
In the state of Texas, we execute more people than any other state of the union but even in Texas, the death penalty is hotly debated.  Not all states in the US have the death penalty but those that do have the same issues with it as here in Texas.\n\nLet’s start with a few of them… Firstly, the original reason for the death penalty was it was suppose to be a deterrent for crime.  It’s still touted as such in the states that do have the death penalty.  But, if you look at the statistics in the states that do have it you will see that it is not a deterrent at all.  Crime rates have not drastically dropped since its implementation.  If it were the state of Texas would be the state in the union that has the lowest violent crime rate, it doesn’t.  The only deterrent effect it has is that the person that is put to death will never again break the law.  That doesn’t drop the crime rate or make us any safer.  The realism is most criminals think they will never get caught, that they are too smart.  When criminals are doing whatever they are doing that is going to send them to death row they are not even considering the death penalty while they are performing the crime.  So that throws out the argument of being a deterrent and lowering crime rates.   \n\nSecondly, it was also suppose to lower costs of prisons.  If you execute the criminals they aren’t going to cost as much to feed, house or be taken care of.  Like the crime rate argument, this one is false as well.  In all actuality it takes more money to execute someone then to house them for life.  That has to do with the legal system and the appeals process.  Most of those on death row have court appointed lawyers because they can’t afford to hire one.  So the tax payers of the state end up footing the bill for not only the prosecution and housing the prisoner they end up paying for his legal defense as well.  In Texas, it costs almost three times more to execute someone then it does to house them in the highest security level for life (stats come from www.deathpenaltyinfo.org).  So how is that fulfilling the promise of lower costs?\n\nThirdly, it is considered retribution.  Unlike life imprisonment, where someone can lead a fairly normal life and have some luxuries, the death penalty does not allow that.  For some that are pro-death penalty that is acceptable because it is a true punishment for a crime, not a chance to rehabilitate the criminal.  With varying degrees people do agree with this, citing the ‘eye for an eye’ quote as back up for it.  But others feel that the states don’t have to right to impose retribution on an individual, that as ‘man’ we don’t have that right to take another life.  A lot of the belief systems that argue both for and against this have to do with religious principles.  But should states have that ability and be able to enforce death when they bluntly always say the state is not there to give retribution?  Isn’t death the utmost in retribution rather than punishment?\n\nFourthly, there is recidivism.  That is that some criminals repeat, repeat and repeat crimes no matter how many time they are sent to jail.  This is true.  There is a certain class of criminals that do repeat their crimes over and over, each time getting worse.  There seems to be nothing that can be done with these people that will work to rehabilitate and reform them.  Repeat offenders do seem to dominate the criminal justice system and are a big chunk of those that are incarcerated.  From the people that oppose the death penalty they say that drugs are a large part of this population, that is true, and sometimes it takes many rehabs to work but in the end it will, eventually.  They also say that the three strikes laws (generally this means after 3 felonies the offender is usually put in prison for life or a very extended stay and are unlikely to get out, although each state has it’s own version of this).  Also, for some criminals, life in prison with no p
608775
Well personally I'm opposed to the death penalty for any reason...First off as a Christian I believe Jesus taught let he without sin cast the first stone...secondly in our criminal courts the rich can afford all the expert witnesses they need while the poor are being executed...sometimes innocent because they couldn't afford a great lawyer and expert witnesses
240856
Yes, there is so much lobbying for human rights in this country that people who need to be locked up are set free, or given very light sentences.  Longer/more severe sentences would not only keep them off the streets longer, but they would make people more afraid of commiting the crime.  This is why the death penalty works, it scares people.
674676
Yes I agree with the death penalty. Life in prison is not a punishment for long term prisoners. Three meals a day, cable TV, no bills. They think it's a good life.
154198
Lets start with this-- we know for a fact at least one innocent person has been executed, we know that chances are a significant number more have been and that DNA evidence has in fact exonerated many death row inmates. so point a. innocence. secondly, the hypocrasy of this procedure is revolting-- we cannot give ourselves the moral highground if we are taking lives. thirdly contrary to many pro-death penalty advocates it actually costs more to execute an inmate than jail him or her for life and finally, it is a relic of a primordial need for vengance-- yes, if my sister were raped and murdered I would want the man who did it dead, but morally I could not encourage the government to act on my desires because I feel that the dominion over life belongs to the divine creator of life not to a fatally flawed system
680034
Capital Punishment is state murder. There were many innocents executed here as there are still being executed in the USA. Capital Punishment is more expensive in real terms then full term Life imprisonment. It is not a deterrent, the murder rate dropped in England after it was abolished and rose in America after it was reintroduced anyway there are lots of supposed Christians here and...Thou shalt not Kill
122092
If you are talking financial, I am not sure what the cost of putting someone to death is, but to house and guard 1 maximum security inmate for a year you are talking in the area of $45,000.00 per year per inmate. You could send them to an Ivy League school for less.
255002
Considering how long people sit on death row, it is probably not too far fetched to suggest that old age is the way most of them do go. Given a choice I would prefer not to go from old age. The gas chamber sounds like a nice way. \n\nActually, I always wondered why there is so much carrying on about the means of execution. For hundreds of years, hanging was good enough. Now for some reason it is frowned upon. I wonder how much the governments could collect by having nice public hangings and charging admission--say $25. Hold the hangings in the football stadiums. 100,000 attendance at $25 would be $2.5 million plus refreshments and souvenirs. There are probably enough people on death row that they could have events every week. Maybe even a double header. Maybe ABC would even like to buy the rights, another $50 million. They could drag the event out for an hour easily having a pre-execution interview with the condemned, interviews with the survivors of the victims, a review of the crimes committed. \n\nI am sort of surprised that no one has been promoting this.
1164887
This site seems to outline it very specifically.\n\nAlthough I didn't read too far, it might be referring to a certain case.  Take a look-see.\n\nThe second one looks better, I think.\n\n10-20 years imprisonment, death if they take a life.   If less than $100 is taken, then less than 10 years if noone was injured.
456433
I don't think it does, the death penalty shows offenders what may happen to them if they kill.  I don't see why that would cause an increase in crime.
875470
The cost of carrying out an execution is difficult to assess. The average cost to house an inmate is about $33, 581 per year. Staff assigned to the execution team receives their regular, budgeted salaries. The cost of the execution procedure, including the chemicals utilized, is minimal. \n\nThe real cost involved in the capital punishment procedure is related to the court reviews, both those mandated by the Legislature as well as the appeal procedures initiated by the convicted inmates’ legal staff. These costs vary depending upon the resources of the convicted inmate and the length of the court procedures involved. \nDeath penalty trials are more expensive than ordinary murder trials. They entail more pre-trial preparation time, more attorneys, longer jury selections, more expert witnesses, and a heightened level of due process. They are 3 to 5 times longer, and the defendant is less likely to simply plead guilty to avoid a trial if there is a chance of being executed.\nAccording to Richard Dieter, Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington, D.C., the most comprehensive cost study was published by Duke University researchers in 1993. This two-year study determined North Carolina's capital cases cost at least an extra $2.16 million per execution, compared to what taxpayers would have spent if defendants were tried without the death penalty and sentenced to life in prison. Applying those figures nationally would mean $1.69 billion were spent on the 784 executions carried out nationwide since 1976 (in 1993 dollars).
273211
Justice and sentences are a complex subject.\nTo answer in a quick way, I'd just say I'm totally against death penalty, no matter the crime, no matter the death. Matter of principles, education and logic.\nSaying "they canno't be rehabilitated" is as stupid as saying "they will never do it again". It really depends on the person and on its personal case... but "Yes" some can be rehabilitated.\nOne last sad point: the USA carceral system and culture do not foster good rehabilitations. That has sad consequences: they go on with their troubles and the ones who believe that they canno't be rehabilitated think being right!!