MISLEADING DEATH PENALTY COST CLAIMS

The anti-death penalty crowd seems to be scoring points with their misleading cost figures. They’ve conned some California legislators and the public, which may very well vote to abolish California’s ultimate penalty. The problem with the Golden State is that there are more than 700 scumbags roosting on death row and when you figure in the cost of fighting their appeals, that is costly indeed.

Dorina Lisson, still passionately engaged in the fight to abolish capital punishment, sent me the following piece of propaganda:

GRIM REAPINGS: HOW THE COST OF U.S. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT ADDS UP

A number of US states are debating whether to abolish the death penalty in light of rising costs.

But how much does it cost to put a person to death?

Capital punishment in the US costs, on average, $1.9m more per case than life without parole.

California has the most expensive death penalty system of any state in the US.

With 721 people on death row but only 13 executions since 1978, the state has spent $4bn more than it would have if capital punishment were not available there.

(source: The Guardian)

Now here is why those cost figures are misleading. The biggest cost associated with the death penalty is what it costs to fight the endless appeals that are filed while a murderer sits on death row. The death row custodial costs are somewhat higher than those for the regular prison population. But as for those sentenced to life without parole, when you add up what it costs to keep them in prison for 30 or more years, it will cost more for a lifer than for an inmate awaiting execution. We’re still talking about millions of dollars to maintain those lifers.

California’s predicament is self-inflicted. The reason there are more than 700 scumbags roosting on death row is because the state’s appellate judges keep finding excuses to prevent any executions from taking place.

In the last few years, most of those executed in Texas had been on death row 8 – 10 years. Had they been sentenced to life without parole and lived for 30 – 40 years, the cost of maintaining them in the joint for life would far exceed the cost of keeping them on death row for 10 years, including the cost of fighting their appeals.

So, those figures in 'Grim Reapings' don't add up and you can bet the abolitionists behind this phony propaganda damn well know it! The costs associated with the death penalty, when figured on a yearly basis for each individual person condemned to death, are a mere drop in the bucket of an annual state budget. Citing those costs as a good reason to abolish capital punishment is nothing more than one big con job!