Death Penalty Too Costly

The United States remains one of the few first-world nations which pursues the death penalty for particularly heinous crimes. For years and years, advocates have stated that the threat of death serves as an effective deterrent. Opponents have argued the opposite, believing that eye-for-an-eye justice just isn't effective. It's barbaric, they further claim. And what's more, opponents have feared the possibility of executing an innocent person, which remains a very real risk. They point to DNA evidence, which has exonerated more than 200 inmates previously sentenced to death in the US, for example. Sloppy investigating is also a problem. Nevertheless, many states may soon do away with the controversial policy of state-sanctioned executions simply because of the price.

States have begun to examine all sorts of measures in an attempt to limit rising deficits and layoffs. Inmates sentenced to death row have and use the opportunity to appeal the decision. Thisbogs down courts and costs taxpayers money. It can take an average of ten to twenty years before the actual execution, and in some states a great deal longer. That translates to roughly $4 million per inmate, a frighteningly high figure in the current economic climate.

Life in prison without any chance for parole costs ten times less than an execution. That's a lot of money even in more prosperous economic times. But politicians are picking apart budgets andslashing costs to make ends meet, and that may mean finance rather than improved morals have finally tipped the decision to end executions in the US.