Does Capital Punishment Bring Justice?
The death penalty has been used for centuries as a form of punishment. However, many fail to realize is that performing the death penalty is two to five times more costly than keeping the same individual in a maximum security prison with a life sentence and no parole. This is supported by the costly factors of countless appeals, and the additional required procedures that are used to form adequate evidence to achieve a death sentence. It is not uncommon for the felon to sit on death row before execution for fifteen to twenty years, therefore clogging court systems, and using a large portion of court resources including the time of judges, attorneys and others employed by the court system. There are countless nation-wide studies that show the ratio of costs in cases that incorporate the death penalty compared to those who do not. In all studies, the states that use the death penalty had significantly higher tax dollars allocated to cover …show more content…
Counties then cover these vast fees by reducing funds distributed to building highways and supporting police forces, as well as by increasing tax dollars. The piece then goes on to estimate that between the years of 1982-1997, the excess cost of capital trials was $1.6 billion. Keep in mind that the number executed in this 15 year time period include 428 people, a low representation of the total number executed from 1982 to the present day, standing at a vast number of 1,400 people. Beginning in 1997 the rate of deaths drastically increase and remain higher than before for the following eight years. As this number dramatically increases, wasted costs regarding capital punishment sky rocket. Upon increased tax dollars, clogged court systems, and sacrificing vital community services, the death penalty does not prevail as an economically wise
The death penalty has been used for centuries as a form of punishment. However, many fail to realize is that performing the death penalty is two to five times more costly than keeping the same individual in a maximum security prison with a life sentence and no parole. This is supported by the costly factors of countless appeals, and the additional required procedures that are used to form adequate evidence to achieve a death sentence. It is not uncommon for the felon to sit on death row before execution for fifteen to twenty years, therefore clogging court systems, and using a large portion of court resources including the time of judges, attorneys and others employed by the court system. There are countless nation-wide studies that show the ratio of costs in cases that incorporate the death penalty compared to those who do not. In all studies, the states that use the death penalty had significantly higher tax dollars allocated to cover …show more content…
Counties then cover these vast fees by reducing funds distributed to building highways and supporting police forces, as well as by increasing tax dollars. The piece then goes on to estimate that between the years of 1982-1997, the excess cost of capital trials was $1.6 billion. Keep in mind that the number executed in this 15 year time period include 428 people, a low representation of the total number executed from 1982 to the present day, standing at a vast number of 1,400 people. Beginning in 1997 the rate of deaths drastically increase and remain higher than before for the following eight years. As this number dramatically increases, wasted costs regarding capital punishment sky rocket. Upon increased tax dollars, clogged court systems, and sacrificing vital community services, the death penalty does not prevail as an economically wise